Something More
by Heavenli24
Summary: High school senior Liz Parker is known to everyone as a quiet, studious science geek, but not everything is as it seems. She's keeping a secret; one she's not planning to tell anyone about...well, no one but the one person who shares that secret, that is
1. Prologue

**Title**: Something More

**Author**: Heavenli24

**Pairings/Couples/Category**: M/L

**Rating**: MATURE

**Disclaimer**: The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended.

**Summary**: Liz Parker is a senior in high school and is known to the majority of the senior class as the quiet, studious science geek. But not everything about her is quite as it seems. She's harbouring a secret; one that she's not planning on telling anyone about any time soon…well, no one except the one person who shares that secret, that is.

**Author's** **Note**: This story is a little different from my usual stuff, but I just couldn't get the idea out of my head. It's written as a mixture of normal parts and Interludes, which take place alternately in the story and I'll be posting them in that way. Also, just to warn you now, it contains several adult scenes. Apologies for the very short parts to start with... that's just how the story ended up/

* * *

**Prologue**

His hands are like fire on my skin, their warmth causing havoc on my senses. I can't get enough of his hot, hard, muscular body. He nuzzles my neck, leaving a wet trail as his tongue flicks out to taste the skin there. My head falls back against the wall, and I clutch at his short, spiked hair with my fingers as his lips and hands work their magic on my body. I'm practically panting already and he's only been here a matter of minutes

I gasp, a sharp intake of breath, as he runs his hands down over my lower back and to my butt. He squeezes lightly for a second, before cupping the back of my thighs and hoisting me up. Instinctively, I clamp my legs around his waist, whilst thanking God that I decided to wear a skirt today. Although come to think of it, I seem to be wearing skirts quite a lot these days. I shiver as my lower body encounters the bulge in his jeans and an aroused moan unintentionally escapes from my lips. God, what this man does to me!

I barely have time to adjust to the change in position before his nimble fingers make their way under the thin material of my panties and brush my clit lightly as he pulls them to one side. I feel like I'm about to explode as I wait for him to unzip his jeans, one-handed, and free himself from their confines. His hand returns to my butt and he supports me as I pull a secretly stashed condom from my bra, tear it open and roll it onto him. With a sigh of pleasure on both our parts, I lower my body and sink down onto him. God, this is heaven. I can't believe I had to wait a whole weekend for this.

He begins thrusting into me eagerly and I wind my arms around his neck, cupping his head as I lean in to kiss him frantically. After several moments, he pulls away and looks at me with a pleading expression. I fight the urge to roll my eyes, as I already know exactly what he wants. With a faint smile, I reach for my top and unbutton it slowly, knowing that I'm most likely torturing him with my languid actions. My suspicion is confirmed when his hands squeeze my butt more forcefully and his thrusts become more impatient. Moving a little quicker, I pull my shirt open and undo the front clasp of my bra, exposing my bare breasts to his hungry gaze. I move my hands to my chest and cup the two globes of warm flesh. Unhurriedly, I massage and squeeze them, occasionally flicking my thumbs across the hardening nipples. I watch his face contort in pleasure at the sight before him and in return, he slips one hand round to stroke my clit. That's all it takes. Less than a second later, he's moving frantically inside me, as I roll my hips to match his rhythm and his lips take the place of my hands on my flesh. I can feel my release building up and I know that he's close too. As a final gesture, I reach down to cup his balls in my hand, stroking them softly with my fingers, something that never fails to send him over the edge.

"Oh, God!" he moans quietly, so as not to disturb anyone outside the room. "Yes! Yes!"

His fingers quicken their movements on my clit, causing my orgasm to wash over me. With one final thrust, we fall apart in each other's arms, clinging to each other as we ride out the overwhelming waves of pleasure.

It takes several minutes for my breathing to return to normal. I slide down his body as he carefully lowers my legs to the floor. We barely look at each other as he pulls off the condom and tucks himself back into his jeans as I fasten my bra and button my shirt. He's ready before me and moves to the door.

"Same time tomorrow?" he asks with a wink.

I just nod and watch him disappear through the door. Once he's gone, I finish tidying myself up, pick up my bag and make my way to homeroom.


	2. Chapter 1 & Interlude I

**Part One**

"Hey, look who it is…Little Miss Science Geek, all ready and raring to go!"

I close my eyes for a moment, clamping down on my anger at the sarcastic remark, before racking my brain for a suitable comeback.

"Yeah, well, this is a Biology class," I reply scathingly, raising my eyes up to the cocky quarterback, who is smirking down at me as he stops at my desk. "It would be kinda stupid to take the class if I didn't like science, now wouldn't it?"

He just crosses his arms, rolls his eyes and scoffs at my retort before moving on towards the back of the room, his fellow team-mates following behind, not even bothering to hide their grins. I let out an annoyed sigh, shaking my head at them as they walk past me. Completely unintentionally, I look up as the last one passes and for one brief moment, our eyes meet. His expression unreadable, he averts his gaze a second later as if nothing happened and continues on to join his friends at the back of the classroom. Joking and laughing with them, he slides into a chair, completely engrossed in whatever weird conversation they are currently engaging in.

That guy…the eye contact one…was Max Evans, ladies and gentlemen; star athlete and most popular guy at West Roswell High. He is the Captain of the football team and the most totally and completely out-of-my-league person in the entire school. Not to mention the fact that he doesn't seem to be able to say a nice word to anyone who is not part of his little 'popular' group. And his friends…don't even get me started on them! The worst one, John Matthews – the quarterback – was the one laughing at me just now. I just don't know how it is that anyone can be [i]_that[/i]_ unaware of people's feelings all the time. Don't get me wrong, it's not like Max himself is the most pleasant person in the world to be around, but at least he doesn't put people down and expose their worst weaknesses in front of everyone. No, with Max, it's more like if he doesn't consider you cool enough to talk to, you don't even get an acknowledgement.

Okay, so here's the thing: despite what I've just told you about Max Evans, I may just have a teeny, tiny little thing for him. I mean there's no denying that the guy is gorgeous; he definitely has the tall, dark and handsome thing down; but there's something else too. There's something mysterious about him, he has this charisma about him that just seems to make every girl fall at his feet.

Well, every girl except me, that is; because, you see, he may look like the perfect man, but I'm not naïve enough to think that he would actually make good boyfriend material, or that he would ever settle down, especially not with someone like me. But hey, we can all have our fantasies of a perfect world, right?

Besides, it's not like I'm a [i]_complete[/i]_ science nerd or anything. I mean, I do enjoy the subject and well, school in general, but I do have friends and a life outside of it. Unfortunately, this is high school and so-called first impressions of people tend to stick. Although, if I'm honest, I don't really mind that much if people label me a geek; I know that there's much more to my personality than that; and I have friends, close friends who like me for who I am and don't judge me, just as I don't judge them. Besides, isn't it better to have a small group of really great friends who like and respect you, than have loads of casual acquaintances who claim to be your friend but chances are, they just want to use you to gain popularity?

So basically, this scene just seems like your average, run-of-the-mill, 'science-loving geek in love with good-looking popular guy' high school situation; but you see, there is a twist to this little tale.

Because said science-loving girl (a.k.a. me – and my name is Liz Parker, by the way) has a secret; one that no one else knows, and that no one else will [i]_ever[/i] _know, judging by the current state of affairs.

Well, okay, that's not quite true.

One other person does know my secret, because it's actually their secret too.

Who, you might ask?

Well, that would just be telling…

* * *

**Interlude I**

I sigh and lean against the counter. It's not even halfway through my shift, the Crashdown is heaving and I'm just not in the mood to deal with irate customers right now, not to mention the fact that the booth in the corner currently contains several of the football team, including John Matthews and Max Evans, and said booth just happens to be in my section.

"Hey, Dad," I call from my position next to the smoothie machine. "I'm taking a break."

"Okay, sweetie," he replies. "Don't be long, though, it's busy tonight."

"I won't."

Wearily, I make my way to the backroom and with a sigh of relief, lean my head back against the row of lockers next to the bathroom. I jump when the bathroom door suddenly opens and a hand reaches out to grab my hand and pulls me inside.

It's him.

"What -?"

"Shh, don't say anything," he warns softly as he lowers his mouth to the side of my neck. His hands creep between our bodies and tug at the opening of my Crashdown uniform. I feel him smirk against my skin as the poppers come undone and he pushes the material aside, pulling it down my arms. He lifts me up and perches me on the ledge next to the sink. Quicker than I can comprehend, he unclasps my bra and pulls it off me, doing the same with my panties a moment later, and dropping both articles to the floor. I feel vulnerable in this position, practically naked before him, but at the same time, an erotic thrill sweeps through my body at the thought of all the people innocently enjoying their meals just beyond the door, not to mention my father, and the fact that we could get caught any minute.

My mind goes blank, however, when his tongue flick across my already aroused nipple and his fingers slip between my legs, caressing my lips lightly. Feeling a little guilty that he's doing all the work here, I reach for his belt and unfasten his pants. My eyes widen, and I gulp as he springs free. No matter how many times we've had sex, the sight of him, hard and ready for me, never fails to send desire shooting through me.

He enters me with two fingers as I wrap my hand around him. He lifts his head from my breast and braces it on my shoulder as we set up a unique rhythm, his fingers thrusting inside me in time with my strokes. I feel the pressure building up, and I realise that he must know I'm close, because he begins gently flicking my clit with his thumb. As I get closer to release, my hand involuntarily pumps him faster and harder, and within moments, we're both crying out in ecstasy.

As we try to catch our breath, we let go of each other, still panting heavily, and he sets about cleaning both of us up. When he's done, I slide off the ledge and reach for my bra and panties, but he grabs them from me and stuffs them in his pocket.

"Sorry, I'm keeping these for a while," he smirks.

My jaw drops open. Surely, he can't expect me to finish my shift with no underwear? Obviously he does, because he grabs my uniform and slips it on me. As he fastens it up, his hands brush lightly against my clit, and then my sensitive nipples and I feel myself getting wet all over again.

God, how am I going to last another two hours in this state?

He doesn't seem to care about my embarrassing predicament though, because all he does is give himself the once-over in the mirror, plant a quick kiss on my lips and leave the room with a wink.

"Bastard," I mutter beneath my breath and quickly lock the door again so that no one else can come in. I look at myself in the mirror. I'm a mess. I curse him for his impulsive nature, although even as I'm doing so, I can't deny that I enjoyed it.

_TBC…_


	3. Chapter 2 & Interlude II

**Part Two**

"Hey Liz, wait up!"

At the eager shout, I stop walking down the corridor and turn to face the direction of the sound. I smile; it's Maria and Alex, my two best friends in the world. I wait for them to reach my side, Maria greeting me with an impulsive hug and Alex leaning down to plant a soft kiss on my lips. Oh, didn't I mention? Alex is kind of my boyfriend. See, the three of us have been friends since elementary school; we've always done everything together. Until last summer, that is. At the end of junior year, Maria was offered this great opportunity to stay with her aunt in New York for the summer, which left Alex and I to fend for ourselves.

We kinda grew close over the two months Maria was out of town and by the time senior year began, we were dating. Our relationship is not exactly what you would call serious, or passionate even, I mean we haven't slept together or anything; but for now, it suits us. It's nice to have someone to share thoughts and feelings, and even kisses with. I think we both know that it's not going to be a long-term thing; that we're only really with each other to fill the empty void that not being in love leaves. But for now, I'm happy.

"So, chica, what did you get up to last night?"

I shrug, "Not much. Unlike some people, I don't seem to be able to get out of working four nights a week. By the time I finished my shift, I was too exhausted to do anything else."

Maria shrugs too, "Hey, it's not my fault if your parents own the restaurant and you just happen to always be around to lend a hand."

I shoot her a withering look, but before I can think of a suitable response, Alex steps between us, slinging an arm over my shoulder.

"Hey, come on ladies, that's enough. We're late for class as it is; we don't need you two holding us up any more than necessary."

"Fine," I sigh. "Let's go then."

We start walking to class together. Alex moves his arm from my shoulders and instead loops it round my waist. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Maria rolling her eyes. I'm not really mad at her, you know; it's just kinda fun to wind her up sometimes.

As we near the classroom, we see that an embracing couple is halfway blocking the doorway. Great. It's Max Evans and his girlfriend - or should I say, flavour of the week - and they're practically going at it right there in front of the English classroom. We come to a stop about a foot away from them and Maria angrily clears her throat.

"_Excuse_ me," she exclaims. "This is a classroom, not a pay-by-the-hour hotel room!"

At the sudden interruption, Max removes his tongue from the cheerleader's throat and glares at Maria.

"It's a free country," he retorts.

But, Maria isn't having it and folds her arms in a no-nonsense fashion. After a brief angry staring match, he sighs.

"Fine. Come on, Tess, We'll continue this later."

He waits for 'Tess' to straighten her clothes, before grabbing her hand and leading her into the room. Just before he sits down, he turns his head in our direction again. His eyes meet mine for a moment, his expression blank as usual. Just as quickly, he turns back to the blonde cheerleader and resumes flirting with her. I roll my eyes and nod absently as Maria goes off on one of her 'teenage males are scum' rants, as we enter the classroom ourselves.

* * *

"So chica," Maria starts, as I place my lunch tray down on the table, "you coming out with us Friday night? It's the big game remember?"

"Geez, give me a chance to sit down, why don't you?"

She actually has the gall to look apologetic. "Sorry…it's just; you know how Alex and I get about basketball. I'm already planning the seating arrangement and transport."

I manage to suppress a giggle at how Maria can be so organised over attending a basketball game, but somehow she never seems to be able to turn her homework in on time.

"Sure, count me in," I tell her before taking a sip of my orange juice. "It starts at seven-thirty, right?"

"Yep. I'll pick you up at seven and then we can swing by Alex's on the way."

"Alright, that's fine by me. Hey, where is Alex, by the way?" I look around but I don't see him.

"Hey, don't look at me," she retorts. "He's _your_ boyfriend."

I don't know what it is, but ever since Maria found out about Alex and me, she's been kind of funny about our relationship. To be honest, I've come to the conclusion that she's jealous; not because I'm dating Alex, since in her own words, 'I wouldn't date Alex in a million years!', but because it's changed the dynamic of our childhood friendship.

Alex chooses that moment to arrive at our table, saving me from answering, as he takes a seat next to me and leans in for a kiss. We pull apart however, when Maria suddenly snorts.

"God, what is his problem?"

"What is whose problem?" I wonder, turning away from Alex to look at her.

She nods towards a table behind us. "Max Evans," she spits. "He's just sitting there glaring at me! God, he's not still annoyed about this morning, is he? 'Cos that would just be pathetic."

With a frown, I turn my head to peer at the tables behind me. Sure enough, there he is. Max Evans; staring in our direction with a thunderous expression. I shoot him a glare on behalf of both Maria and myself and promptly turn my back on him again.

"Just ignore him," I advise. "He's probably pissed off that he didn't have time to get in Tess' pants earlier."

"Yeah, you're probably right," she scoffs, dismissing him with a wave of her hand. "He's not even worth thinking about anyway."

"So, anyway…" Alex uses the opportunity to speak up. "I take it we're all sorted for the game Friday night?"

"Yep," says Maria. "I can't wait. It's supposed to be the closest game of the season. I'd say we're in for some action Friday night."

As the two of them start intently discussing the team's line up for the game, I return to my lunch; although for some reason, I can't seem to get Max Evans' stony expression out of my mind.

* * *

**Interlude II**

It's half time and I'm standing in line for popcorn. Something brushes against my butt - a hand - and I instinctively know it's him. He doesn't get too close and at first, I think he's there for the same reason I am, but then he slips something into my hand, a piece of paper, and leaves the line. Careful not draw attention to myself, I unfold the note and scan over it.

_North end of the bleachers - 2 minutes._

I look up quickly, but I can't see him anywhere. With a quick glance around to make sure no one's paying attention, I pretend that I've changed my mind about popcorn and move away from the refreshment stand. A coil of heat forms in my stomach, as I think about what I'm about to do - and in public, no less!

It takes a little longer than two minutes, but eventually I manage to slip behind the darkened bleachers. He's already standing there, waiting for me. He doesn't even wait for a greeting; instead, his strong arms come around me as he urges me to wrap my legs around him. I cry out at the feel of his erection pressing into me, rubbing against my most sensitive spot.

"I didn't see you this morning," he whispers as he fumbles with my top. "I waited for you."

"Sorry about that," I manage. "I had to see Mr. Seligman before class," I explain between ragged gasps. "I'll make it up to you, though."

"Oh, I'll make sure of that," he smirks.

He doesn't waste time with removing our clothes; he simply releases himself from his pants, slips a condom on and pulls my panties aside roughly.

"God, I need you," he pants, as he trusts into me forcefully.

All I can do is cling to him tightly as his energetic strokes cause my body to move up and down above him. The thrill of having sex in a public place, especially one filled with thousands of teenagers, where anyone could walk in on us as any moment, just adds to the excitement and before I know it, I'm coming. Hard. My short, breathy gasps become low moans of pleasure and the orgasmic sensations ripple through my entire body.

Man, I don't know how I ever lived without this!

A few minutes later, we both find our release and then slowly come down from the high it produced. He doesn't let go of me though, but instead opts to slip his hands beneath the hem of my top and flatten them against my lower back, rubbing lightly. I shiver at the contact and can't seem to stop my own hands from curling round the muscles of his upper arms and running my fingers over them. We stay like that for a few moments, gently caressing and stroking each other.

That's the thing about these 'meetings' of ours; they're merely about touching and feeling and our own enjoyment. We don't talk, we don't think, we just act on our instincts; and in a way, that's what makes it so good.

When I slip back into my seat next between Alex and Maria at the end of half time, I have to struggle to keep the grin off my face. I feel…well, liberated, I guess…and I like it.

_TBC_…


	4. Chapter 3 & Interlude III

**Part Three**

I have to suppress a groan when the teacher announces today's assignment and whom we're to work with. Of all people, I get stuck with John Matthews (the quarterback, remember?), and his ever-present sidekick and fellow football jock, Sam Davis. The two of them always seem to take great pleasure in tormenting me and calling me a nerd, and as a result, they never get any kind of work done in class. Ever.

Oh well, looks like my grade in this class is about to take a nosedive.

"Hey, Davis," John nudges his friend with his elbow as they approach my table. "Look who we have the pleasure of working with on this fine day. The ultimate nerd!"

Beside him, Sam sniggers and I have to work hard to keep my expression pleasant and unaffected.

"Well," he continues, "at least this means we'll get a good grade on this assignment." He slides into the seat next to me whilst Davis plonks himself down at the other side of the table. "Isn't that right, Miss Goody Two Shoes?"

I keep silent, knowing that if I open my mouth to speak, I'll say something I'll regret.

"What? You got nothing to say to that? No lame comeback?" he jibes.

Again, I ignore his comment and start looking over my notes for the assignment.

"Hey, Davis, what do you think? If she's this compliant about doing our work for us, I wonder what she'll be like in the sack? We could probably do anything we wanted to her and she wouldn't complain." He looks over at another table. "Hey, Evans," Across the room, Max looks up from his desk. "What about it? An orgy with Little Miss Science Geek here? I bet we could have some fun with her!" His words have me seething. I may not want to cause a scene, but there is no way anyone talks to me like that!

Max doesn't reply to the comment, but he briefly shifts his gaze from John, to me, and back to John again, before sending him a withering 'Her? Are you out of your mind?' glare.

I turn to John, my control snapping. "You know what? You're scum. All of you. Do you have nothing better to do than waste your energy being rude to me? Well, I'm not going to let you or anyone else walk over me anymore. If you want a good grade in this class, you're going to have to earn it yourself. And as for sleeping with you? I wouldn't touch _you_ with a bargepole - I have much higher standards, thank you very much!"

"Ooh, someone's testy!" he retorts immediately, apparently unaffected by my outburst. "Hey, never mind, Evans," he calls across the room again. "Looks like she's frigid!"

I close my eyes and count to five, repeating 'he's not worth it…he's not worth it' over and over in my mind. I look up at the clock; still twenty minutes left to go. With an angry glare at my two assignment partners, I grab my notes and move to the other end of the table. Ignoring them, I get to work on the assignment. I keep my head down, with my eyes fixed on the book in front of me for a good five minutes, but soon my concentration begins to wander. I feel a tingling on the back of my neck, as if someone's watching me, but when I look up everyone appears to have their heads buried in their books. I shake my head and return to the assignment.

I breathe a sigh of relief when the bell finally rings and I can leave the hell that is known as History class. I meet Maria and Alex outside in the corridor. They just had a free period and so we have a few spare minutes to talk before they go off to their next class and I head for the library to get some studying done.

As we stand by a row of lockers and catch up on the morning's events - I inform them of the display John Matthews put on in History - the jocks exit the classroom and form a small huddle opposite the three of us. They're all laughing heartily and every now and then, one of them will look over at me and smirk. I roll my eyes.

"Come on, guys, let's go. You two will be late for class if we don't hurry up," I say quickly. Anything to get anyway from those animals for a while. Alex and Maria grab their bags and we make our way down the corridor. As we pass the group of sniggering adolescent males, I feel that strange tingling sensation again. I glance around quickly and come face to face with Max Evans.

"Excuse me," I murmur, brushing past him quickly. He frowns slightly, but moves to the side to let me pass nonetheless.

Maria and Alex's next class is just down the hall, so I leave them at the door and start towards the library. I'm just passing the Eraser room, when suddenly someone grabs my arm. I don't even have time to look around and check that no one is watching, before the door opens and I'm pulled inside.

* * *

**Interlude III**

"God, you are so hot right now," he murmurs throatily, his hands grabbing my hips from behind. He presses his lower body against me so that his hardness nestles between my denim-covered butt cheeks and walks me towards a table against the wall. "You should stand up for yourself more often."

His hands slide up to my breasts and he cups them over the material of my shirt, squeezing gently. A whimper escapes my lips as the feel of his thumbs running back and forth over my nipples sends tingles shooting down my spine and straight to my groin. I feel myself getting wet and my heart rate quickens in anticipation.

My stomach muscles contract involuntarily when he reaches down and unfastens my jeans, before slipping his hand beneath my panties. His fingers walk their way down through my curls and when they reach their destination, he slips one between my lower lips, encountering my wetness. He nuzzles my neck, nipping and sucking at the sensitive skin there as his fingers start up a pleasure-inducing rhythm.

The closer I get to the edge, the more he angles my body down towards the tabletop.

"Put your hands on the table," he murmurs breathily.

Normally I might hesitate about being in this position, but I am so turned on right now, that I'll do pretty much anything. I lower the top half of my body down towards the table surface. All too quickly, his fingers disappear from my clit. The protest freezes in my throat however, when his hands cup my butt briefly and then he pulls my jeans and panties down. His hands leave my body completely, and for a moment, I feel incredibly vulnerable, but the second I hear the sound of his zipper being lowered, the self-conscious feeling goes away.

I feel his hands on my hips again and I almost jump when he steps closer and his hardness comes into contact with my bare buttocks. He leans down until I can feel the skin of his stomach against my lower back and his breath on my ear.

"Condom?" he asks.

"My bra," I rasp in reply, closing my eyes when he reaches in and retrieves it from the lacy material.

He slips it on and positions himself at my entrance.

"You ready?" he checks.

"God, yeah…"

That's all he seems to need and within seconds, he's thrusting into me eagerly. At first, his hands rest on my hips, guiding my movements, but once I get the hang of it, he moves them back to my breasts and then alternates between massaging them and stroking my clit. The pleasure is almost overwhelming and I tremble as he fills me up again and again.

It feels like an age since we went at it behind the bleachers Friday night and my body finally releases all the tension that has been building up over the last few days.

I don't know what I'll do when the inevitable happens and we have to stop doing this.

_TBC_…


	5. Chapter 4 & Interlude IV

**Part Four**

'Oh great,' I groan, as the bell above the Crashdown door sounds and in walks Tess Harding, on the arm of none other than Mr. Max 'I'm God's gift' Evans. I roll my eyes. Could this day get any worse?

I guess so, I decide, as they take a seat in my section. I take a deep breath, square my shoulders and approach them, order pad in hand.

"Good evening, my name is Liz and I'll be your waitress tonight," I inform them, through gritted teeth, a forced smile appearing on my face. "What can I get you?"

Tess looks up at me in disdain, as if I have no right to be in her presence. I mean, how does she think she's gonna get anything to eat if I don't take her order? Geez!

Max sends Tess an unreadable look, before cutting in, "She'll have a Caesar salad, low fat dressing and a mineral water." He sounds amused as he rattles off her order and then watches how Tess nods in approval at his choice.

I roll my eyes as I scribble it down on my order pad. Typical cheerleader - eats no calories at all - I wonder how she has the energy to cheer on that diet.

"And I'll have a double cheeseburger, large fries and a chocolate milkshake," Max adds purposefully, although I notice how he deliberately leaves out the food's alien-themed names. Hey, I can't help it if my dad has lame ideas for the restaurant's menu! I bite back a grin as Tess glares at him, presumably because of his idea of good nutrition.

"Okay, got it. I'll be right back with your drinks," I tell them, shoving the pad into my apron.

I deliver the drinks and then the food to their table, accidentally letting out a snort when Tess eyes Max's plate of junk food longingly and then looks down at her own salad in disappointment before reluctantly tucking in. Once I've completed their order and I'm satisfied that I have attended to all my customers, I slip into the booth in the back, where Alex and Maria are currently sitting. I'm still smirking over the whole Max and Tess thing as I greet them.

"What's up with you?" demands Maria when a giggle escapes my mouth.

"Oh, nothing, just Tess Harding's eating habits, that's all," I tell her with a smirk.

Maria looks over at their table. "Oh God, what did that airhead do now?"

"Okay, get this," I start with a grin "She orders a salad and mineral water and then stares at Evans' burger and fries, her mouth watering as if she's been stranded on a desert island and hasn't seen food in months!"

Maria rolls her eyes, "Typical."

"I know!"

We sit comfortably in the booth for several minutes, just chatting about this and that, until I notice a customer signalling for my attention. I get up to attend to them, but Tess stops me on my way back to our table. She wants to upgrade her water to a Diet Coke. With a sigh, I fetch it for her, place it in front of her and then turn to leave. As I walk past them, I feel something brush against my leg. It's Max's foot.

"So, guys," I say as I slide back into the booth, "what's going on Friday night? Are we going out somewhere?"

Maria frowns, "Uh, Liz, don't you and Alex have a date planned Friday night?" She looks to Alex, who nods. Oops, I totally forgot that we'd agreed to go to the movies this weekend. Actually, I haven't exactly been a great girlfriend lately. Alex and I haven't been on a proper date in weeks. To be honest, I think the two of us are more like friends who hug and kiss occasionally than a couple in a relationship.

"Oh, uh, yeah we do. Sorry, Alex, I guess it slipped my mind," I apologise.

He shrugs, "Hey, no problem. You know, how about we all go together Friday, save Maria from a lonely night in front of the TV?" I sigh in relief; looks like Alex might be on the same page I am in our 'relationship'.

Maria holds her hands up in protest. "Hey, I don't wanna intrude or anything. You two just go alone, I don't mind."

I lean towards her. "Hey, it's okay, we don't mind. Come with us," I insist.

She reluctantly agrees and I share a look with Alex, who smiles; I guess we're just gonna go back to being friends again then, which is fine with me.

"Oh look, Little Miss Up Herself and her 'I'm All That' toy boy are finally done," Maria snorts suddenly. I look towards the front of the café, and sure enough, Max and Tess are waiting impatiently by the cash register. I raise my eyebrows at Alex and Maria, before getting up to serve them.

"Back in a minute, guys."

I reach the register and paste a smile on my face. "Thank you for dining at the Crashdown this evening. I hope everything was to your satisfaction."

All I get is a scoff from Tess and a strained "Yes, thank you," from Max.

"Okay then, that'll be $9.35 then, please."

Max reaches into his wallet and hands me the money, his hand briefly brushing against mine as I take it from him. I place it in the till and print off their receipt. When I look up again, I find Max looking at me, a weird expression on his face.

That's strange, I think, as I watch them leave. He's never given me much more than a blank stare before.

_

* * *

_

**Interlude IV**

I almost jump in fright when I enter my bedroom later that night and there he is, lounging comfortably on the bed. I don't have to wonder how he got in: I usually leave my bedroom window open slightly to let the air in. Add to that the fact that I have a balcony outside my room, which is easily accessible by way of a ladder, and it's no surprise that he got in here unnoticed. What's confusing is _why_ he's here. This is the first time he's ever come here and I've never been to his place either.

I open my mouth to ask him what the hell he thinks he's doing here, but then he looks at me with those inviting 'I want you' eyes and my mind instantly goes blank. I don't know how he manages to do this to me. He can make me go from feeling perfectly normal, if not a little tired, to completely turned on and begging for his touch in less than a split second.

Before I can even make sense of the situation, he slides off the bed and comes to a stop in front of me. I quickly reach behind me to lock the door; I don't want my parents walking in on us unannounced. His eyes devour me as he slips my cardigan off my shoulders and lets it fall to the floor. His hands make their way under my shirt, caressing my bare skin as they move upwards, taking the material with them. He makes quick work of removing my bra and barely a moment later, it joins my shirt and cardigan on the floor. I shiver with arousal as he stills for a few seconds, his eyes raking over me, before covering my breast with his lips. As his tongue flicks across my nipple, he reaches for the buttons on my jeans, undoing them slowly, letting his fingers dip beneath the waistband as he goes. It causes my stomach to tighten in anticipation.

My jeans slide to the floor, pooling around my ankles and he halts his ministrations on my skin to kneel down and lift each of my legs in turn to pull both the denim and my socks free. Within a matter of seconds, I am practically naked before him. Still kneeling before me, he lifts his hands to my hips, and begins to tug my panties down. They too slide to the floor and despite the fact that my legs feel like jelly and I can barely hold myself up, I somehow manage to kick them off. He lowers his mouth to my clit, suckling it gently, and I have to support myself against the door as the beginning waves of pleasure begin to crash over me. He hooks one of my legs over his shoulder, using the opportunity to stroke inside me with his fingers. It doesn't take much of his skilled manipulation to send me over the edge. I clutch at his soft hair as my body convulses with every caressing stroke of his tongue and my breath comes in short, gasping pants as I whisper his name. He continues his ministrations even after my orgasm has retreated and as my breathing returns to normal, my body beginning to relax, he places a soft kiss to my inner thigh and gently lowers my leg to the floor.

With a wicked grin, he makes his way up my body, his warm hands trailing up my sides and coming to rest over my breasts. I can't resist his mischievous expression and soon find myself returning his pleased grin. In one swift movement, I reach for his shirt and pull it up over his head.

"My turn," I smirk, as he lifts his arms and the shirt drops to the floor. I turn him around so that his back is to the door and, mimicking his earlier stance, I fall to my knees in front of him and busy myself with his belt buckle. As I undo the clasp and reach for his zipper, his hands drift down to my shoulders. His thumbs gently massage my skin as I open his jeans and ease them down over his hips a little. He's already hard and throbbing beneath his boxer shorts and a thrill of excitement runs through my belly as I free him from their confines and close my hand around his length.

I run my thumb over the tip and stroke him a couple of times before lowering my head and taking him in my mouth. His hands stop their ministrations on my shoulders and he threads his fingers through my hair, holding my head in place as he gasps my name. I let my hands drift up to his butt and slip them into his jeans to pull them down. They pool around his ankles, but I couldn't care less. I use my fingers to massage his butt as I run my tongue along his smooth length, before taking him into my mouth fully and moving in the rhythm that he taught me. His gasps and whimpers increase in intensity as I add my hand to the mix and I know he's close. Suddenly, his hands pull my head back and he reaches down to pull me up. In one quick movement, he kicks off his jeans and propels us both across the room to the bed. Once there, he wastes no time in situating himself between my thighs and sinking into me. We begin a fevered rhythm, one that has become extremely familiar to us in the last few weeks, and it only gets better from there. By the time his orgasm hits, he's managed to send me over the edge twice more and I'm nothing more than a trembling mass of hot, sweaty flesh.

Our movements slow and our bodies relax, but apparently, he has no intention of moving just yet. We lay together, my body trapped deliciously beneath his, for several minutes, just enjoying the feel of each other's naked skin. However, all too soon, he rolls to the side and reaches down for his trousers. I lay back and watch the flexing of the muscles in his back and shoulders as he dresses, and within a couple of minutes, he's once again fully dressed. He moves to the window and prepares to climb through, sending one last glance in my direction.

"Thanks, Liz," he says with a boyish grin and a glint in his eye. "See you tomorrow…perhaps in the Eraser Room?"

I nod sleepily. "Tomorrow's good," I murmur contentedly.

He winks and hoists himself through the window. I don't watch him leave; I'm too busy basking in the satisfied state he's left me in.

_TBC…_


	6. Chapter 5 & Interlude V

**Part Five**

It's Monday morning and I'm totally distracted. Something's been eating at me for a few days now; so much so, that I was totally out of it at the movies with Alex and Maria on Friday night, and I'm not going to rest until I've confronted my problem. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. Every time I try to sort things out, something comes up and I have to put it off. Not anymore though; now I finally have the opportunity to get it done.

All I need to do now is pluck up the courage to do it. Which I'm going to. Right now. I swear.

I steel myself and pull open the door to the almost empty library, where he is apparently studying. As far as I know, he's a pretty average student, but he's definitely not one for spending time in the library, although I guess things can change. I march over to his table and plonk myself down opposite him. He looks up in surprise.

"I need to talk to you," I state firmly.

"What are you doing?" he hisses, looking around frantically.

"Look, I know the arrangement, okay?" I retort angrily. "No communication between us in public, but this is important," I insist, trying not to sound desperate.

He watches me carefully for a moment before sighing. "Fine," he relents. "But can we do this later?"

I lift my eyebrows and sigh in exasperation, but agree all the same. "Okay…"

"Look, meet me behind the bleachers after school. We can talk there."

"But what about practice?" I shudder at the thought of all the jocks standing right across the field from us.

He shakes his head, "It's been cancelled today; Coach Richards is off sick. No one will be around."

"Right, okay," I nod. "So…the bleachers after school. And I'll definitely see you there?" I shoot him a look. He'd better not back out now and decide not to show up.

"I'll be there," he states firmly and then glances around nervously. "Now go, get out of here…before someone sees us."

With a sigh, I get up and leave the room. Oh, I can just see this going well.

* * *

"You're late," I state, as he appears, almost twenty minutes after school let out. I've been standing here all that time, my arms crossed over my chest and my foot tapping anxiously.

"Sorry," he says, but he sounds anything but. I raise an eyebrow. "I got stopped coming out of class and I couldn't get away," he admits then, before dropping his backpack to the floor. "So, what am I doing here?" he shrugs, his hands held out to the side.

I exhale shakily. This is it. "Okay, so here's the thing….I think I might be pregnant."

He goes still, the colour draining from his face. "W-what?" he whispers in shock. "No, no, you can't be. That's just not possible," he insists. "We were careful."

I scoff. "Nothing is a hundred percent, Max," I remind him softly. "And besides, we weren't always careful."

"Yes we were," he insists. "I made sure of it."

I shake my head. "Are you forgetting last week, when you came to my room? We didn't use anything then."

He stares at me for a moment, his face stricken, before he sinks down onto a pile of crates behind him, his face in his hands. When he doesn't move from the position for several seconds, I get worried.

"Max?"

He lifts his head and I see the scared expression in his eyes. "Liz, you _can't_ be pregnant," he states again, this time forcefully. "You _can't_. Do you understand that?"

Yes, I do understand, I realise, as my heart sinks. He doesn't want it. He's refusing to even accept the possibility of this happening.

"So…what? You're just going to ignore this and hope it goes away? It's not that simple."

"Liz, listen to me. This…what we've been doing…it wasn't supposed to be serious. It was no strings attached, remember? I wouldn't have even started this if I thought any different."

I feel tears prick my eyes. "And what, I would? It was the same for me too, Max. I didn't intend for anything like this to happen either. We were having a good time, that's all. But if something went wrong and I am pregnant, then we're gonna have act like adults and face up to it."

"Liz, you know that's not the only option here -"

"No!" I cut him off harshly. "I am not getting rid of my baby. Not for you, not for anyone! I don't care how much it might affect my life, I could never kill a child like that."

Max stands up then, looking at me intently for several moments, before stating calmly, "Well, then, I'm sorry, Liz. I guess you're on your own."

"But…Max…please," I splutter. He can't be serious about this.

He simply shakes his head slowly and backs away from me, from the conversation altogether. Numbly, I stand there and watch him turn and walk away, as the tears escape from my eyes and begin their slow, meandering descent down my face.

* * *

**Interlude V**

It's been almost two weeks since I spoke to Max behind the bleachers and in all that time, he hasn't even come near me. I took a pregnancy test the day after we spoke and it turns out that it was a false alarm; I'm not pregnant. The thing is, Max needs to know that and I can't even get him to acknowledge me. I'm torn. On the one hand, I guess I should consider it a good thing that something has come between us and our little arrangement, after all, it wasn't exactly the healthiest of relationships; but on the other hand…God, I miss the feel of him inside me. I miss the excitement of knowing what we were doing was wrong and kinda twisted, I miss the anticipation of our next secret rendezvous. I guess I just miss him.

Now don't get me wrong, it's not like we ever talked or acted like a couple or anything, but there's a certain physical intimacy that comes with fucking someone's brains out on a regular basis, and that intimacy made me feel…well, needed, I guess. That's what I miss. Well, that, and the incredible, mind-blowing sex and off the scale, I-can-see-stars orgasms that accompanied it.

My eyes flutter closed and my heads sink down against my fluffy pillow as I remember how our arrangement began. Technically, it didn't start out as a clean-cut deal; the first time, it kind of just happened unintentionally. I let myself get lost in the memories as the images and accompanying feelings of that first time, _my_ first time, come flooding back…

_**Three months ago**_

_Life sucks right now. I get stuck here in the Chemistry lab after school, doing an extra credit assignment just because Mr. Seligman thinks I'm destined for Harvard. Okay, so yeah, I like school and I'm a good student, but sometimes there is such a thing as too much academic work! It also doesn't help that I'm all alone in here, with not even my lab partner, Kevin, to chat to._

_So, I'll just sit here, stare mindlessly at the experiment set up in front of me, hope that a wave of inspiration will hit me soon and I'll be able to finish this and go home._

_The door opens suddenly and Ms. Johnson pokes her head in._

"_Afternoon, Liz," she smiles. "You don't mind keeping an eye on a fellow student for me, do you? He's the only one with detention this afternoon and I have a meeting to go to."_

"_Uh…sure…" I agree hesitantly._

"_Okay, great. Thanks, Liz," she says. "I know I can trust you to make sure he gets his work done."_

"_Yeah…" I frown. God, am I such a goody-goody that teachers ask me for favours now? Wow, I'm gonna have to do something about that._

"_Okay, Mr. Evans," Ms. Johnson tells the student outside the door, "You can get on with your assignment in here. But don't disturb Ms. Parker, alright?"_

_I suck in a breath as Max Evans walks through the door and smoothly slides into one of the many empty seats. How am I going to survive the next forty-five minutes alone with this guy? He's like the school celebrity and I'm crap at talking to any guy whose name is not Alex Whitman._

_I return my concentration to the lab book on my desk and try to ignore that fact that he's sitting on the other side of the room. Five minutes later, I realise that it's very quiet, too quiet. I look up to find Max watching me, chewing thoughtfully on his pencil._

"_What?" I ask, half defensively, half self-consciously._

_He frowns pensively, "You really are a teacher's pet, aren't you?"_

_I bristle. "What's that supposed to mean?"_

"_I mean," he starts smoothly as he stands up and begins walking towards me. "You look like you could do with letting your hair down once in a while."_

_The comment ought to offend me, but I unfortunately make the mistake of looking up into his eyes. I can't explain it, but there's something in his body language, in his gaze, that just draws me to him. I feel myself involuntarily edging around the table, drifting towards him._

"_Yeah?" I question softly._

"_Yeah," he smirks._

"_What exactly did you have in mind?" I breathe, as I stop in front of him._

"_Oh, I don't know," he murmurs, his gaze raking over my body. "Something along these lines…" He lowers his head, and I don't even have to wonder about his intention because I'm already drifting towards him until our lips meet halfway._

_Something snaps in me and before I can consider the ramifications of what I'm doing, we're locked in a passionate, frantic embrace. His hands are all over me, pulling my lower body into contact with his. He's already hard and the thought of what that means sends a jolt of apprehension through me. But then his hands slip beneath my clothes to cup my breasts and all rational thought flies out of the window. I want him, I realise suddenly. I want this._

_Despite the fact that I'm totally inexperienced in this area - a few kisses with Alex is as far as I've ever gone - it's like Max Evans has jumpstarted something inside me and all I want is to feel the hardness currently pressing against my hip thrusting into me over and over and over, until I pass out in sated exhaustion. In fact, I want it so badly that I'm trembling in anticipation. I feel a rush of warmth between my legs and suddenly I can't stand it any longer, I grab him, pulling at his pants as he fumbles with my belt._

"_Wait," he murmurs against my throat. I lift my head in question. Is he going to tell me to stop? Because at this point, I don't think I can. "We can't do this here, anyone could walk in."_

_His words sink in and blush as I realise that we're practically going at it in the middle of the classroom._

"_Uh…" I search the room with my eyes, looking for somewhere we can continue this. "The supply closet!" I announce triumphantly._

_His eyes follow my gaze to the cupboard door and he gives a brief nod. "Come on, then."_

_Once inside the closet, we grab each other once more, picking up where we left off. Within seconds, my jeans and panties are on the floor and he has me up against the door, my legs wrapped around his trim waist. He pulls a condom from his back pocket and hurriedly rolls it on. He positions himself between my legs, but hesitates for a moment, as he watches at me. I feel self-conscious at his perusal, especially considering the situation we're currently in, and in an attempt to divert his attention, I pull him to me, placing my lips over his and rolling my hips so that he enters me. I don't think about the fact that this is my first time, or that it kind of hurts; the only thought in my mind right now is that I am painfully aroused and I need more._

_As he begins to move at a steady pace inside of me, building up the pleasure for both of us, a single phrase echoes in my mind._

'_Everything's going to change now'_

As the remnants of the memory begin to fade and I return to my surroundings, I become conscious of the fact that one of my hands is now massaging my breasts and the other has made its way into my panties and is rubbing and stroking my clit frantically. That realisation is all it takes to send me over the edge, my orgasm rippling through my entire body. As I come down from the incredible, self-induced high, I realise that I can't just let go of Max Evans. In the space of three short months, he's managed to worm his way into my thoughts and I think perhaps even into my heart.

_TBC…_


	7. Chapter 6 & Interlude VI

**Part Six**

Life is hell right now. It seems like everywhere I look, there's Max Evans and his gang of pathetic losers, all of them intent on reminding me what a poor excuse for a woman I am. If I'm honest, their inane taunts don't really bother me that much. What pisses me off is how Max just falls right in line with them. He doesn't attempt to defend my honour or anything, and he carries on making lewd comments with them over my supposed 'frigidness' as if he's not the guy who spent the last three months of his life learning exactly how frigid I'm _not._

Today is no exception. Just when I think the coast is clear and I can reach the other side of campus and head home without bumping into them, here they are walking right towards me. I freeze for a moment, hoping that I can duck into an empty classroom or a closet to avoid them. Unfortunately, as I scan the area with my eyes, I realise that there's nothing but lockers, Max's locker included, within 6 feet of my current location. I close my eyes briefly as I steel myself for the inevitable sarcastic comments that are bound to spill from their mouths when they shove past me.

However, something unexpected happens when they approach Max's locker. Instead of all of them stopping while he grabs his books, Max mutters something to them and they continue on without him. I frown as I hear the usual comments as they pass me and I hesitate in the corridor, unsure of what to do now. Do I ignore Max and carry right on past him? Do I even have the confidence to do that? The thing is, I have no problem putting on a brave face when the whole group is present, but now that it's just Max in front of me, and the corridor is empty, save for the two of us, everything's different.

Before I can make up my mind, Max slams his locker door shut and I jump at the loud noise. I don't even have time to react before he's striding purposefully towards me. He stops right in front of me, less than a foot away and I take an involuntary step back.

"Liz," his voice is throaty, as if clogged with emotion. "I need to talk to you."

My breath catches in my throat and I can't react, not even to nod. I swallow frantically and it takes several attempts to form any words at all. Finally, I calm myself down enough to speak.

"About what?" I ask flatly, warily.

"About your…situation," he clarifies.

"Max, it's not -" I try to explain, but he cuts me off.

"No, listen," he insists. "Look, I've had a lot of time to think about this and I realise that I didn't react well when you told me. But I want to make that up to you now. I want you to know that I'm going to support you and the baby. I'm going to help you with this, Liz."

"Max…" Despite the jerk he's been the last few weeks, I'm actually touched by his words, by the fact that he seems to be willing to throw his reputation away to help me.

"No, Liz, I mean it," he tells me determinedly. "Maybe this whole situation is inconvenient and unplanned, but I need you to believe that I'm sorry for my reaction the other week - the news was completely unexpected, and it threw me - but despite appearances, I am a good guy and I'm willing to take responsibility for my actions."

He looks so earnest and hopeful, that I suddenly don't want to break the news to him that there is no baby. Unfortunately, I have to.

"Max," I look up into his face, making eye contact with him. "It's okay; you don't have to worry about it. It was a false alarm; I'm not pregnant."

"You're…not?" he questions slowly.

"No," I shake my head.

"But…" he looks confused. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to, Max," I tell him. "I tried to, but you wouldn't have anything to do with me. I couldn't get near you."

"God…" he exhales, casting his eyes to the ceiling. "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter anymore," I dismiss with a shrug. "You know the truth now, so we can forget this ever happened. We'll just call the last three-and-a-half months an error in judgment."

Adjusting my bag on my shoulder, I start to walk past him, but he stops me. My eyes drift down to where his hand is suddenly burning a hole in my arm.

"Wait…" he says quickly. "What if I don't want to forget?"

I stare at him quizzically, my brain not fully comprehending the words.

"Like I said, I've done a lot of thinking lately, about you…about us…and you know what? I miss you," he confesses. My heart skips a beat at his admission.

"What?" I whisper carefully.

"I miss you," he repeats simply. He leans closer. "I miss the feel of you in my arms, the breathy sounds you make when you come, the way your body moulds to mine when we're making love, the way…" I don't hear the rest; my mind is stuck on those two little words…

"Making love?" I interrupt.

"What?" he stops talking, and just stares at me in confusion.

"You said, 'when we're making love'. I thought our arrangement was just about sex. Nothing more, nothing less; isn't that what we agreed?"

He just stares at me for a moment, his eyes searching mine, as if he's trying to decide something.

"I guess that it _was_-" he starts falteringly, "- at the beginning; but somewhere along the way, something changed. And now…" he pauses to take a breath. "…I think have feelings for you, Liz; and I don't want our arrangement to stop, far from it. In fact, I want more. I want to take you out on dates; I want to spend time with you; I want to kiss you by your locker, and hold hands with you around campus. I want to be with you, Liz."

I'm so taken aback by his sudden confession that I do the only thing I can. I laugh.

"Liz?" he questions cautiously as I double over, giggles wracking my body. "What did I say?"

It takes a few moments, but I finally manage to regain enough control to straighten up and face him again.

"Max," I say softly. "You can't be serious. It was just sex."

"Are you sure about that, Liz?" he questions. "Do you really believe that two people with absolutely no feelings for each other could have that level of sexual chemistry?"

He's looking at me in earnest and the smile drops from my face. "Oh God, you're serious," I realise then.

"Totally," he insists.

"Shit…" This is too much.

"Liz, please, will you just consider it? We'd be good together, I know it."

I scoff, "Max, you have pretty much made my life hell for the last few weeks. Your friends have been acting like bastards towards me for years. Do you really think you can just apologise and that'll make me agree to date you?" I shake my head, "I'm afraid you're gonna have to do better than that."

"But, I don't understand," his brow furrows in confusion. "If you didn't even want this, then why did you keep coming back for more?"

I chuckle and shake my head, "Because, Max Evans, you were a great lay."

His confused expression quickly turns to surprise at my words and his mouth opens and closes several times before he finally speaks again, "You…you were using me?"

"Well, yeah…we were both using each other," I remind him slowly, as I try not to roll my eyes. "And you have to admit it was fun…all those secret meetings behind closed doors while in public we pretended to hate each other - that just added to the excitement. But, Max, you have to see that there's no way things could work between us."

He looks…well, I'm not exactly sure how to describe his expression – disappointed maybe? – and for a split second, I wonder if I've made the right decision. After all, I have only recently admitted to myself that I actually do have feelings for him. But at the same time, these last two weeks, where his attitude towards me has gone from complete ignorance to downright smug bastard, there's no way that I'm going to tell him that. Not until he starts showing me some respect – _outside_ of the Eraser room, that is.

"So, what you're saying is…that's it; whatever it is we've been doing for the last few months is just gonna be forgotten…?"

"Yeah, pretty much," I shrug. "Look, Max, I'm not gonna deny that I enjoyed what we were doing – sneaking around and all that – but I think our little arrangement has run it's course, don't you agree?"

He frowns, "I – "

"Good, well that's settled then," I announce, shifting my bag on my shoulder once more. "I'd best be off now," I inform him coolly. "Have a nice life, Max Evans."

Clutching my bag, I hold my head high and brush past him as I walk quickly through the hallway. I don't stop or look back until I'm safely away from him and out of sight. With a troubled sigh, I lean my head back against a locker and take a few deep breaths to calm the butterflies in my stomach. Okay, so I know Max deserved every word, but there's a part of me that really wants to believe his confession.

Man, how could I have let things get so out of control?

* * *

**Interlude VI**

**_*Almost* three months earlier_**

_It feels like I've been walking around in a daze for the past few days. Ever since I lost my virginity to Max Evans in the Biology lab, I haven't been able to get him out of my mind. Well, not *him* exactly, because…well…he's basically a bastard, but his body at least. I almost can't believe that only a week ago I was an innocent virgin, intent on saving myself for the right person, and now I'm feeling as horny as ever and just as anxious to do it again. Only problem is I haven't had the opportunity or the chance to get close enough to Max and suggest a repeat performance. I honestly don't know what it is about him. Whenever I get even within viewing distance of Max Evans, it's like I can't control myself. All I can think about is fucking him again…and again…and again until we're both completely sated. _

_I watch Max from across the room as we all sit in study hall. He's laughing and joking with his friends – no doubt about something pointless like someone falling over at football practice. Still, I can't help but be mesmerised by the hard, flexing muscle exposed by his short-sleeved T-shirt as he high-fives John Matthews. I bite my lip as the now familiar warmth sweeps over me and pools in my stomach. I cross my legs in an attempt to quell the ache between my thighs, but all it does is increase the pressure and that leaves me wanting more._

_I let out a huge sigh of relief when the bell rings and class lets out for lunch. I quickly gather my books and move towards the door. As I walk past Max, I discretely slip a folded note onto his table and then exit the classroom. I walk down the corridor until I reach the Administration office, which I know will be empty and I sneak inside. As I wait for him to join me (hopefully), I realise that I don't really know what my plan is her. But what I am certain of is that any minute now, Max Evans will walk down the hallway towards the cafeteria and if I have anything to do with it, he's not going to get any further than this office._

_I suck in a breath when I hear voices outside the door. It's Max and his mates. Their voices remain loud for several moments, until I hear Max tell them that he's forgotten something in his locker and will meet them later. The noise eventually fades away and then the handle turns and the door clicks open. He slips into the room, quickly closing the door behind him and comes to a stop in front of me._

"_Max…" I begin, my voice throaty._

"_Look, Liz… if this is about what happened last week, I'm sorry, but it was a one-time thing. I'm not looking for a relationship right now," he starts quickly, as if he's trying to diffuse the situation as soon as possible._

_I scoff, my mouth falling open in disbelief, "What makes you think I want a relationship?"_

_He frowns, "Well, I uh…"_

_I smirk, and begin to saunter across the room towards him. "What would you say if I told you I wanted a repeat performance?" I murmur, as I trace his chest with my fingertips. "No commitment, no strings attached, just good old-fashioned sex."_

"_I…uh," he swallows, almost nervously._

_I lean up to whisper in his ear, "All I've been able to think about for the last week is how much I enjoyed our little encounter in the supply closet and how good you felt inside me."_

"_Liz…" he mutters, moving his hands up to my arms, in an attempt to…stop me? I'm not really sure._

"_Come on, Max…you can't deny it was good. After all, you were the one who said I could do with loosening up a bit. What do you say to helping me with that?" I almost can't believe I'm actually acting this way with him, but my hormones seem to be in complete control here._

"_Okay, I admit it, it was good. But Liz –"_

"'_But Liz' what?" I wonder as I reach for his top button. "I want this…and I can tell you want this," I say as I glance down at the growing bulge in his jeans, "So why not?"_

_He closes his eyes and gulps as I undo button after button on his shirt and then slip my hands inside, caressing his soft, yet hard, skin._

"_Don't you have a boyfriend?" he asks then, and I almost look down guiltily, but I stop myself just in time. _

"_Alex and I…we're not really that serious," I assure him. "More like friends who go out on dates. Besides, I think he has a thing for someone else anyway." _

_In order to get his mind off that particular line of thought, I lean forward and dart my tongue out to taste the skin just above his collarbone, but then he suddenly pulls me to him and turns me so that my back is against the door. He reaches to the side and I hear the click of the lock turning, before his hands are all over me. Within seconds, both my top and his shirt are on the floor and his face is buried in my bra-clad chest, his tongue tracing the outline of the material. After unfastening my jeans and discarding them to the table beside us, he lifts me so that I can wrap my legs around his waist. I gasp when I feel his denim-covered erection pressing against my centre and then his hands on my chest. With one arm around his neck, I reach down with the other to place first one of his hands and then the other on my butt. He shifts my weight in his hands and squeezes my flesh as I lower my hands to free him from his jeans._

_I watch as Max closes his eyes and lets out a hiss when my fingers encounter his length. Both curious and nervous (I've never done this before), I experiment by running my fingers up and down the throbbing flesh, before closing my hand around him fully._

"_God," he utters breathily._

_Becoming slightly bolder, I stroke up and down a few times and relax somewhat when he lets out a small moan. I feel myself getting wetter as his hips begin to rock against me, effectively trapping himself (and my hand) between our bodies. I jump in surprise, however, when one of his hands moves lower and his fingers slip into my panties. I desperately try not to moan loudly as he begins to stroke and finger me from behind. Every so often, the tip of his finger will brush against my clit, making me shudder. As a result, my hand movement becomes quicker and we start rocking together almost frantically._

"_Liz…" he mutters breathlessly. "Liz…wait."_

"_What?" I whisper, unsure of what he wants._

"_I don't want to…finish…like this. I need…to be… inside you," he manages between gasps._

"_Oh," I murmur in understanding. "Okay."_

_With one hand still wrapped around him, I use my free hand to reach inside my bra and pull out the condom I stashed there this morning. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I planned…well, not this exactly… but I sure as hell planned something. I release my grip on his member in order to open the small square packet. Slightly hesitantly, I reach down and begin to roll it onto him. At first I feel kind of embarrassed about doing it, but then he moans as I touch him and a grin comes to my face. Once the condom is in place, I remove his hand from my panties and then pull the material aside. He wastes no time in positioning himself at my entrance and then slipping inside me. We both sigh as he fills me up and I close my eyes once again at the delicious friction it causes. _

_In no time, Max is steadily thrusting into me and we're both well on our way to climax. Just as the waves of pleasure begin wash over me, he leans forward and takes my lips in an urgent kiss. Our tongues duel together frantically, mimicking the actions of our lower bodies. I can feel my orgasm rapidly approaching and all it takes is one final urgent thrust from Max to send me over the edge. He soon follows with his own release and we cling to each other as we come down from the amazing high._

"_So," I say, when I've caught my breath again. "Does this mean we have an arrangement now?"_

_He smirks, "Yeah, I guess we do. So, is this like a 'let's do it whenever, wherever' kinda deal?"_

"_Yeah," I grin, but my smile fades quickly. "As long as no one else knows about this."_

"_Oh, I'm with you on that one," he agrees. "No need for anyone else to get involved here. It'll just be you and me, in private…whenever possible."_

"_Well, okay, then," I say, giving him a quick peck on the lips before releasing my legs from his waist and jumping down to grab my clothes. I hand him his shirt and admire the view as he pulls it on, before getting dressed myself. He's the first one ready and so leaves first – we can't exactly exit the room together, now, can we? Just before he slips back through the door, he sends me a smirk and a mischievous wink._

_I smirk back, but at the same time, I wonder what's gotten into me. Since when do I follow my emotions rather than thinking things through clearly and rationally?_

_Oh, well, if it means I get to have hot, incredible sex whenever I like, then what does it matter?_

_TBC…_


	8. Chapter 7 & Interlude VII

**Part Seven **

Well, it's now been exactly five weeks since I told Max about the possibility that I was pregnant and three weeks since he told me that he wanted to date me and I turned him down. As much as I hate to admit it, I've been feeling miserable the entire time. I know that technically Max deserved everything I said to him and I'm glad that I told him where he could stick it, but if I'm totally honest I really don't think he's a bad guy at heart. Sure, he has idiots for friends, who like to make everyone around them feel like shit, but apart from those two weeks before he approached my in the hallway, he hasn't really done anything to me that could be considered mean or bastard-like.

In fact, ever since I walked away from him that day, the atmosphere around school has actually changed. I've had a relatively peaceful couple of weeks of classes and the comments from Matthews, Davis and the rest of the guys have died down to a minimum. At first, Max returned to his usual self around me, occasionally making brief eye contact but with a blank expression, but then suddenly he began sending me looks. Not discreet, 'while-no one's-watching' looks, but full on, almost longing stares right in the middle of class. Honestly, they've been making me feel uncomfortable, but also kind of bad that I turned him down so harshly.

And that's not all. Last Tuesday, I arrived at school to find practically the whole place in a state of frenzy. Apparently, Max Evans and Tess Harding had a big blow out right in the middle of the corridor, with everyone watching. I heard that when Max turned her down for a date that evening, she began accusing him of cheating on her (which, okay, is technically true) and he just snapped. It seems that he told her, in no uncertain terms, that they were through. I heard through Maria that he called her a selfish, ungrateful bitch (about time, too) and then admitted that he knew she'd been screwing John Matthews behind his back for the last six weeks and that he didn't even care!

I had to smile when I'd heard what he'd done and now I can't help wondering if perhaps he was being serious about his so-called feelings for me. He certainly seems to have taken into account what I said when I rejected him, although I'm still not one hundred percent convinced that he really knows whether what he supposedly feels for me is real or if he's simply suffering from withdrawal symptoms from our arrangement (it has been several weeks since we last 'met', after all).

"Hey, guys," Maria's voice startles me out of my thoughts. I look up in time to see her take a seat next to Alex on the other side of the lunch table.

Alex and I finally sat down for a long talk a few days after that so-called date at the movies and my pregnancy scare and we agreed not to date each other anymore. After all, as he pointed out, we've only ever really been friends and besides, he's kind of had a thing for Isabel Evans (that's right, Max's sister) for a while. Not that he ever expects anything to happen with her, but he still didn't feel that we should keep seeing each other if one of us had feelings for someone else.

"So," says Maria, as she unwraps her Crashdown-made Galaxy sub, "Anyone know what's up with Max Evans and his band of loonies lately? They've totally calmed down the last couple of weeks." She cocks her head in the direction of their table, where several members of the football team are talking and laughing amongst themselves, but not actually at anyone in particular.

"I dunno," replies Alex, and I shrug in agreement. "Maybe they finally realised that they were acting like 5-year-olds and have decided to grow up now."

Maria looks at him and then at me before bursting into laughter. I cringe as the majority of the occupants of the surrounding tables stop and look at us, Max Evans included.

"Yeah, right," chuckles Maria. "Like that's ever gonna happen."

But I don't hear her; I'm too busy being drawn into Max's eyes, which are currently staring at me intently. I feel my face growing hot with humiliation, but for some reason, I can't bring myself to look away.

* * *

"Liz…Liz, wait!"

I close my eyes at the sound of his voice, but continue walking down the corridor in earnest, desperate to avoid whatever confrontation we're obviously about to have.

"Liz, stop…please," he begs, as he catches up with me and grabs my arm from behind, effectively stopping my journey to the parking lot.

I exhale in defeat and slowly turn to face him.

"What do you want, Max?" I ask. "I thought I told you to stay away from me."

"I can't, Liz," he admits quietly.

I shake my head sadly, "Max…"

"Can you just listen to me… please?"

"No, Max, you listen to me: I just can't do this with you," I tell him tiredly and prepare to turn my back to him and continue walking.

"Liz, these past few weeks have been awful without you. I miss you," he says then and the tone of anguish in his voice stops me in my tracks. "Look, I know I've treated you badly and I'm sorry for that. And I'm trying to change, I really am. I got pissed at the guys for mouthing off; I broke things off with Tess; I'm trying to make things better…you gotta believe me," he tells me, before admitting determinedly, "I want you, Liz; I need you - so bad I can't think straight. Our arrangement literally changed my life – the last four months have made me realise something: no one makes me feel complete like you do, physically or otherwise, and I'm praying that you feel the same way."

"Max…" My resolve is crumbling. I'm trying - unsuccessfully, I might add - to run through the numerous reasons that Max Evans and I will never work; but instead, all I can think about is how hot all that sex was, how I feel when I'm with him and how much his confession actually means to me. I let out a shaky breath and look up into his gorgeous eyes; eyes that suddenly seem deep and soulful.

"Okay."

"Okay?" he looks stunned.

I nod, a smile tugging at my lips. "Okay," I confirm. "I'll go out with you."

He exhales, a relieved half-laugh, "Really?" he sounds so hopeful as he looks down at me in wonder, that I can't help grinning at the boyish picture he makes.

"Yes, really," I nod. "Look, Max, the real reason I blew you off before was because what you said to me that day really threw me. Honestly, I've liked you for a while." His optimistic smile becomes a slightly arrogant grin. "But," I add quickly and the grin fades somewhat. "I needed to be sure you really meant it; that you were serious about wanting to date me, and up until that point, you hadn't given me any indication that I meant anything to you. But, I've seen a different side to you the last few days and I'm willing to give it a try."

"Thank you, Liz," he says sincerely. "Thank you for giving me a chance."

I smile and he tentatively reaches out to slip his arms around my waist, and asks with a grin, "So, um, can I kiss you now?"

I laugh and give a consenting nod; his tentative question is a far cry from the sexual predator I know him to be. He grins and swoops in for the kill. His warm, full lips meet mine, his tongue darting out to taste my skin and I slide my arms around his neck, pulling him to me forcefully. We stand in the middle of the empty hallway, locked in our embrace for what seems like hours; until Max's roaming hands make it evident that we can't continue this here.

"Wait," I mumble against his lips. "Not here."

"What?" he pulls back, disorientated. "Oh, so…Eraser room?"

I almost laugh at the suggestion. "I think the Eraser room is a little inappropriate considering we're 'dating' now."

He has the decency to look embarrassed. "Oh, um, well…how about tonight? My folks are out of town, we could continue this then…say around 9?"

I grin, "Max, we haven't even been on a date yet. Don't you think it's a little soon for that?"

He shoots me an incredulous look, as if to say, 'Do you _not _remember how far we've gone already?'

I sigh good-naturedly, "Okay, fine, tonight it is."

He grins and leans down for one more kiss, before releasing me, and turning to leave. "See you tonight, then, babe." He winks and walks away.

I roll my eyes. It's nice to know that regardless of today's unexpected outcome, some things never change.

* * *

**Interlude VII**

"Well, here we are," Max announces as he ushers me through his bedroom door. "You're one of the few privileged guests allowed in here," he finishes smugly.

I suppress a smirk; he definitely hasn't lost the Big Man on Campus attitude yet. "And what makes you think anyone actually wants the privilege of being invited?"

My attempt to bring him down a peg or two fails when he merely cocks an eyebrow and sends me an 'of course they want it' smirk. I roll my eyes and scoff as I turn away from him to survey the room. It's actually pretty nice in here; it's neat and tidy and surprisingly, there are no pictures of naked women on the walls, just a few of fast cars. When I turn back to him however, he's watching me uneasily, his hands shoved in his pockets and suddenly the awkwardness of the situation sinks in. We're supposed to be a couple now, but all we've ever done when we're alone together is fuck each other senseless and now it appears that neither of us knows how to act around the other.

"So…you want something to drink?" he asks suddenly, "Or eat? We have plenty of food in the kitchen."

I shake my head quickly, "No thanks, I'm good."

"Oh, okay," he mumbles, a frown appearing on his face. He seems to think for a moment, before speaking up again, "Look, I'm sorry. I guess I don't really know how I should act around you now."

I almost smile at the lost-little-boy picture he makes. After everything we've done together, he's gone shy around me.

"Max -"

"It's just," he cuts in. "You're my girlfriend now and it's not right for a guy to treat his girlfriend the way I've treated you when we've been together…And now, I don't really know where to start. I mean, do we hold hands, watch a movie together, exchange kisses, what?"

I don't think he realises it, but he's just broken the tension with his words, and now I know exactly what I want from him. I let a mischievous smile tug at my lips as I saunter towards him. I raise my hands to his torso, running my fingers over the ridges of muscle playing beneath his t-shirt. He gulps.

"You know what, Max? If you wanted to be the world's best boyfriend, then you probably should start with all that, but I have a much more attractive proposal," I murmur.

He swallows. "Oh?"

"Uh huh," I nod. "It's been a very lonely, very frustrating couple of weeks and I'm literally _aching_ for you right now, Max Evans. So, why don't you just put the formal relationship stuff to one side for now and fuck me instead?"

He grins, "Wow, Miss Parker, what happened to the quiet, reserved, studious girl everyone knows and loves?"

"She took a risk and embarked on a much needed secret affair with the captain of the football team," I divulge speculatively. "And in the process, she realised that sometimes being the bad girl can be much more fun."

"Well, then, I'm glad I could offer my services," he smirks. "Although, after today, you can't tell me that it was nothing more than that." His tone is joking, but I can't detect a hint of apprehension behind it.

"Oh, there was _definitely_ more to it than that," I purr, running my hands down over his stomach. "She also realised that she might just be falling for the guy too."

"Really?" he muses, slipping his arms around my waist and pulling me flush against "Well, that's good to know, because the guy has already fallen…_hard_," he thrusts his hips against me in emphasis, "for her." I let out a gasp as his erection meets my groin and I grab his t-shirt, pulling him down to me.

"Oh, God," I groan as I seek out his lips. We kiss fervently; tongues tangling; hands gliding over clothes and skin, grabbing at whatever they can. Max holds me to him tightly, as he walks me backwards until my knees hit the edge of his bed. We fall onto the soft, springy mattress and he slides on top of me in one effortless, fluid motion.

He places a chaste kiss on my lips, and then another, before rising up to support himself on his elbow and staring down at me.

"God…you're beautiful," he murmurs.

I shift, self-consciously. "No, I'm not," I deny softly.

"You are," he insists with a grin. "I could just stare at you all day."

A warm glow spreads across my cheeks, but I can't help the teasing remark that comes flying out of my mouth, "If you did that, you'd probably flunk out of school. And," I add as I roll my hips beneath him. "_We'd_ never get anywhere."

He shivers, "God, Liz, I want you so much right now."

"Well, I'm right here. Ready, willing and able," I tease.

His pupils darken and suddenly he's all over me; his lips and hands simultaneously caressing any and all the bare skin they can find. Within a few seconds, I'm half-naked before him and my top and bra are nowhere in sight. I slip my hands underneath his t-shirt and ease it over his head; as I drop it to the floor, I urge his upper body downwards so that our bare torsos are pressed together. I shudder at the glorious sensation I feel as his hard chest presses against my breasts.

Bracing one hand against the mattress at the side of my head, he reaches between our bodies and unbuckles his jeans, before slipping out of them and then pulling my pants down over my hips. He returns to his previous position, stretched out above me and I exhale a shaky breath as his bare skin comes into contact with mine. You know, I would be content to just stay like this for the rest of my life.

He shifts his hips slightly so that he's positioned at my entrance.

"You ready?" he whispers.

I nod, but then something occurs to me. "Max, wait!" I cry. "Condom!"

His eyes widen in realisation. "Oh, God. What am I thinking?" He reaches into the top drawer of his bedside table and pulls out a condom. He unwraps it quickly and slides it on. "Man, the things you do to me…I can't think around you, Liz."

I smile, but say nothing. Instead, I urge him between my legs again. He enters me smoothly, as if he belongs there, and begins stroking inside of me. The pressure builds up quickly and before long, I'm begging him to move faster, but he continues to drive me crazy with his steady pace. Over and over again, I hover dangerously close to the edge, but he doesn't allow me to find my release, until eventually I can't take it anymore and I reach down to cup and gently squeeze him as he thrusts into me. He gasps and his movements become jerky. Finally, I reach the long-awaited peak and my orgasm washes over me. Max finds his own release just moments later, calling out my name as he does so. He collapses onto me, his lips nuzzling the side of my neck. A few moments later, he rolls onto his back beside me and pulls my hot, sweaty body against him. I feel my eyelids becoming heavy and before I know it, I'm drifting off in his arms.

Just before I fall asleep, I think I hear Max whispering, "I love you, Liz," but I dismiss it almost immediately. Max Evans is not in love with me; he barely even knows me.

_TBC_…


	9. Chapter 8 & Interlude VIII

**Part Eight**

Although I ended up sleeping in Max's bed last night, I couldn't stay to wake up with him this morning – my parents were expecting me to join them for breakfast at home as usual, so at around 5.30 this morning, I nudged Max awake. We spent several few minutes saying goodbye to each other, before I persuaded him to let me go so I could sneak out of his bedroom window and return home. We didn't really get around to discussing what we were going to do from here – if we were going to tell anyone about us - so now I have no idea what to expect from him today.

As I wait by my locker for Maria to arrive, a grin spreads across my face as I remember how great last night was; although, I still can't quite believe that Max Evans wants _me_, of all people. I guess it shouldn't be that much of a surprise since we have known each other intimately for several months now, but the whole concept just seems so out there and unreal that it feels like I'm in some kind of weird dream.

"Oh my God, chica, you won't believe what I just heard!" Maria's energetic shriek pulls me from my daydream. I look up to find her approaching me, frantically waving her hands.

"Maria, you scared the shit out of me!" I exclaim. "Calm down."

She comes to a stop in front of my and takes a few deep breaths. "Okay, get this: apparently, someone saw Max Evans making out with some brunette in this very hallway after school yesterday!" My heart skips a beat; she can't know, can she? We've been so careful making sure that no one catches us. "I mean, everyone knows he's only just dumped that blonde cheerleader and now he's moved right on to someone else– what a scumbag, huh?"

"Uh…yeah," I choke out.

"But that's not all," she speculates, leaning in closer to me. "That wasn't the first time. Tommy Spencer said he's seen Max going into the Eraser room with some girl a few times over the last couple of months. He's such a two-timing bastard!"

Oh, God, what am I doing? Maria's never going to accept my relationship with Max. And what about Alex? Sure, we talked things over several weeks ago and agreed that we should just stay friends, but I can't imagine that he'll be too pleased to find out that I was cheating on him with the school womaniser.

"Oh great!" Maria moves to my side, rolling her eyes. "Look who's on his way – the bastard himself – and with his band of merry losers, too!"

I close my eyes in dread and my heart lurches in my chest, as I watch the group of jocks swagger down the corridor towards us. What do I do now? Do I make eye contact with him? Do I smile? Or do I ignore him for now and save us both the hassle and attention? I square my shoulders as they get closer and an evil smirk appears on Matthews' face – it seems he still hasn't quite got the hint yet. However, before I have to suffer the any humiliation from him, I watch in surprise as Max shoves him violently to the side and tells him 'not to fucking think about it'.

A collective gasp sounds from the crowd of spectators gathered around us. I quickly calculate how long it will take me to slip out of sight and get away from everybody, but just as I begin to move, something stops me in my tracks. Max is looking at me. His eyes lock with mine and he dismisses his teammates with his hand as he strides purposefully towards me. I hear a 'what the fuck?' from Matthews and suddenly I know what he's doing.

_No_, I try to plead with my eyes, _No, Max, please don't do this now_. The verbal protest becomes lodged in my throat as he stops right in front of me, cups the back of my neck with his hand, pulls me against him and seals our lips together. It only takes a second for everyone else to fade away and for Max to become the centre of my focus. My arms snake up around his neck and I open my mouth to him. His tongue slides inside and our embrace becomes even more passionate, until…

"Oh my God!"

It's Maria; she sounds mortified. I need to talk to her, to set things straight. Unfortunately, I'm a little preoccupied right now.

"Liz!" Maria's voice vaguely penetrates the Max-induced haze that's now surrounding my mind, but it's not until she grabs my arm forcefully, that I muster up the strength to pull away. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Liz?" Max wonders in confusion as he opens his eyes and sees Maria's hand clasping my arm.

"Max, I…" I stutter, my brain not quite fully functioning yet. "Everyone's watching," I manage, gesturing to the crowd surrounding us. At least he has the decency to lower his eyes in apology.

"Liz? What is going on?" demands Maria once more. I gaze at Max for a few seconds, before I realise I can't put this off any longer, and turn to my best friend. Max pulls back, but he moves behind me, resting his hands lightly on my hips.

"Maria, Max and I are seeing each other now," I tell her vaguely.

"Since when?"

Now do I lie and tell her it's only been a few hours, or do I tell her the truth? "Since yesterday." Okay, so I lied.

"Since yester-?" Maria trails off in confusion, but then realisation dawns and she gasps. "Oh my God, the girl he was seen with last night– that was you?"

At that, Max leans down to my ear and groans. "Someone saw us?" he mutters.

I turn my head slightly towards him for a second and then sigh, "Yeah, Maria; that was me."

"Shit!" she exhales suddenly, before a frown mars her features. "But, I don't get it…how exactly did the two of you get together?"

Max clears his throat slightly, answering for me, "You know, Maria, whatever is going on between Liz and I is private and none of your concern, and we intend to keep it that way. Now if you don't mind, could you please stop sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong and leave us alone?"

I close my eyes as I inwardly curse Max for his outburst. Sure, it might be true, but right now Max is living up to his 'indifferent bastard' reputation and I can't imagine my best friend is too impressed with him.

"Fine," she snorts. "I'll leave it…for now. But just know this, Evans," she wags a finger in his direction. "Don't think that you can treat my best friend like you just treated me and expect to get away with it; I'll be on you faster than a pack of wolves," she threatens. "And as for you, Liz, we are going to have a serious talk later." With that, she storms off in the direction of our homeroom.

Great," I groan, turning to face him. "Thanks a lot, Max. Now she's going to hate me."

Seeing that the scene seems to be over, the rest of the students milling around the corridor begin to disperse in different directions.

"What's the big deal, Liz?" he shrugs, his arms looping around my waist again. "She was going to have to find out sooner or later."

"But it didn't have to be like that," I tell him, exasperated. "What were you trying to do?"

He exhales dejectedly, "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause a scene, it's just that I saw you standing here looking good enough to eat and I couldn't help myself." He leans down to whisper in my ear, "You're just too delectable."

I curse my body as it begins to respond to his hungry words and my resolve wavers. It doesn't help matters when he seeks out my lips with his own and kisses me languidly.

"Alright, fine," I manage between kisses. "You're forgiven…at least for now. But you need to let me go now...I have to find Maria and explain things."

He pulls away. "Explain things? You mean you're gonna tell her the truth?"

"I guess I have to now, otherwise she's just going to keep pestering me about it."

"Alright," he releases me reluctantly. "But, we now have an appointment with the Eraser room after fourth period. Be there."

"Oh, I'll be there," I assure him with a grin. Unable to resist, I grab his hand and lean up for one last kiss. "But, I really have to go now. I'll see you in class later, okay?"

"Okay," he grins and squeezes my butt playfully as I slip past him. I don't let go of his hand until the very last moment. As I walk away, I feel the weight of his stare on my back and I can't resist taking one last glance at him before I turn the corner. He's staring at me with such intensity that I feel my cheeks grow hot and the familiar warmth begins to pool in my belly.

You know, I think being in a relationship with Max Evans is going to be a million times better than when I was just fucking him.

This is definitely the start of something more.

* * *

**Interlude VIII**

"Don't worry about it," he murmurs against my throat, his tongue slipping out briefly to run along my sensitive skin. "She'll come around. They all will." As he speaks, his hands lower to cup my bottom and he lifts me onto the table against the wall. He nudges open my legs and manoeuvres himself between them.

"Wait," I say suddenly, running my hands through his hair and lifting his head to look at me.

"What is it?" he asks softly, as he pulls away a little.

I sigh, biting the side of my lip almost anxiously. "What are we doing here, I mean, really? This…us…it's just so out there. Maybe we just didn't think things through."

He frowns, "What do you mean? I like you, you like me; what's the problem?"

"The problem is, we hardly know each other, Max. I just think this is all kinda…sudden."

"What are you talking about? Of course we know each other; we were sleeping together for months."

I observe his puzzled face thoughtfully for a moment, before continuing. "What's my favourite colour? What films do I like? What are my ambitions?" I ask him seriously.

He just stares at me, at a loss for words, his mouth opening and closing aimlessly.

"Exactly. We don't know each other, Max. Not really," I state softly. "I think Maria was right when I talked to her earlier; we're just rushing into things…thinking with our bodies and not our heads." He smirks at the phrase. I roll my eyes and shove his arm playfully. "The head on your shoulders, idiot!"

He chuckles throatily, but turns serious again when he sees that I'm not laughing with him.

"You want us to get to know each other better?" he questions almost thoughtfully. I nod.

"Okay, let's start right now. You ask me a question, I'll answer it and then I'll ask you something," he tells me. "But…there's a condition."

"Which is…?" I query suspiciously.

"What do you think?" he murmurs slyly, his hands sliding over my butt once more as he pulls me against him.

"What?" I wonder. I really have no idea what he's thinking of.

"Don't worry, you'll pick it up soon enough," he smirks, before pressing his lips to mine. "Okay, I'll go first," he says against my lips, squeezing my butt in his hands as he does so. "What's your favourite colour?"

"Um…" Damn, I can't think straight now that he's kissing me. "Blue."

My hands automatically slide up his arms, over his shoulders and settle at the back of his neck. I trace small circles on his soft skin and grin in satisfaction when he shudders.

"Ah," he mutters, pulling back from my lips, "I see you're getting the gist. Now it's your turn."

"Okay," I say as I let my fingers walk down his back. "What's _your_ favourite colour?"

"Hmm, I'd have to say…deep red," he whispers in my ear, his hands moving to my top, which incidentally is that exact colour.

"Really? Interesting," I purr as his fingers dip beneath the material.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?"

He pulls back and smirks as he lifts the shirt over my head and lets it fall to the floor. "So, what's your favourite food?" he asks then.

He eyes my lace-covered chest hungrily and I have trouble coming up with an answer.

"Um, strawberry cheese…cake," I manage, my voice hitching as he runs his thumbs across my hardening nipples. "Yours?"

"Chocolate mousse," he murmurs silkily, before leaning in to whisper in my ear, "Especially when it's served à la Liz."

I shiver with arousal at the image he's just conjured up in my mind and my hands begin to wander of their own accord. Within moments, his shirt has joined mine on the floor and my fingers are walking down his stomach towards the waistband of his pants.

"What are your ambitions in life?" he questions smoothly, his fingers fumbling with the clasp of my bra. I still my hands and look at him suspiciously.

"Okay, now you're just repeating the questions I came up with before. Can't you come up with something original?"

"You want something original?" he muses, as he tugs my bra down my arms, throws it to the floor and slips his hand up under my skirt. I gasp as his fingers pull my panties aside and begin stroking my clit. "Okay, here we go," he smirks mischievously. "Who's your favourite family member?"

My eyes fly open and I push his hand away. "Max!"

"What?"

"You can't ask me that while we're having sex! It's gross and disturbing!"

He shrugs and moves in to nuzzle my neck. "Well, if you don't like my questions, then we're just gonna have to stick with yours," he grins triumphantly against my skin.

"Okay, you know what? I give up. We can get to know each other later. I'm too horny to think properly right now." I quickly reach for his zipper and he slides his hand up my leg once more, pulling my panties aside and slipping his fingers inside me. I lower his pants eagerly and reach inside his front pocket for a condom.

In no time at all, he's rocking against me steadily as we settle into the familiar rhythm. A few moments later, as our releases rapidly approach, he reaches for my hand and lowers it to my clit. Together, our fingers entwined, we stroke in time with his thrusts, our hands repeatedly brushing against his cock as he strokes in and out of my dripping centre.

It happens so suddenly that I'm almost unprepared for the orgasm that rushes through me without warning. As I cry out in pleasure, Max covers my mouth with his own. At that exact moment his release hits and we ride out the waves of pleasure together.

As we hold each other tightly, exchanging soft kisses and murmured caresses, I realised that this is where I belong: in Max Evans' arms.

Who cares what anyone else thinks?

We're happy.

_TBC…_


	10. Chapter 9

**Part Nine**

I suck in a deep breath as I watch Alex take a seat at our usual lunch table out in the courtyard. Lucky for him, he had a dentist appointment this morning and therefore missed the drama that was Max and I. I'm desperately hoping that he hasn't heard it from anyone else, since I'm sure he'll take the news better coming from me; unlike Maria, who had to witness it firsthand. As I think over what I'm going to say to him, my mind returns to the talk I had with Maria before homeroom. Needless to say, she wasn't happy with my decision to date Max Evans, even after I broke down and confessed to the true nature of our relationship. In fact, she called me 'totally crazy and out of my mind'. I tried to explain to her that deep down he wasn't the bastard she thought he was and that he definitely wasn't taking advantage of me; I don't think she's completely happy with me right now, but she at least agreed to respect my decision to keep seeing him.

With that thought in mind, I square my shoulders and begin walking across the courtyard.

"Hey, Alex," I greet as I approach our table.

"Oh, hey Liz," he responds through a mouthful of cheese sandwich. "What's up?"

"I, um, I need to talk to you," I tell him seriously as I take a seat opposite him.

"Yeah, what about?"

"Well, it's, um…kind of important and I wanted you to hear it from me before you found out from someone else."

He frowns at my words and gently places the sandwich down on his napkin. He leans across the table, towards me.

"Liz, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Look, I um, I don't want you to be offended or take this the wrong way or anything, but…." I trail off, suddenly losing my nerve.

"Liz, just spit it out, would you?" he cuts in, sounding both amused and exasperated at the same time.

"Okay; here's the thing: I'm kind of seeing someone new." I pause for a moment to let the news sink in.

He frowns again, but it only lasts for a moment before he breaks into a grin. "That's great, Liz; really. I'm happy for you."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Are you sure? Because, I mean, you and I…"

"Liz, you and I…we're were just passing the time, you know? I'm sure you'll agree that we've never really been much more than friends to each other anyway. So, I'm pleased you've found someone else. You deserve to be happy, you know?"

"Thank you, Alex, that means a lot," I smile.

"That's what friends are for, Liz," he replies, reaching across the table to cover my hand with his own and give it a light squeeze.

"So, who is it, this lucky guy you're seeing?"

Okay, crunch time. Here's where I have to tell him the truth.

"Well, it's um…it's Max Evans." I bit my lip in anticipation of his response.

"It's who?" he exclaims. "What, as in the arrogant bastard whose entire existence revolves making everyone else miserable?"

I knew this wasn't going to go well.

"Look, Alex, I know this is kind of unexpected, but he's really not such a bad guy."

"Since when? And exactly how long have you two been 'seeing each other'? I mean, since this is the first I've heard of it."

"Um," I lower my eyes to the table, as if that's going make this any easier. "Since yesterday," I mumble.

"Yesterday?" he wonders and I look up at him once more. He shakes his head forcefully, "No, I don't buy that. I mean, how exactly could the two of you have started up a conversation, realised you liked each other and become a couple all in the space of what, twelve hours? No, there's more to this than you're telling me. What's going on, Liz?"

At first, I'm tempted to stick with the story that we've only been together for a day, but I know that I can't lie to Alex; at least not convincingly. So, I let out a deep breath and prepare to come clean.

"Okay, you want the truth? Here goes," I start, "A few months ago, I stayed behind after school to get started on a Biology experiment. Max had a detention that day and he was told to sit in the lab with me to do his assignment. We started talking and since then, we've kind of been seeing each other in private." I deliberately leave out the parts where we were having meaningless sex, because if Maria's reaction was anything to go by, I'd rather keep that part between Max and I for now. Unfortunately, Alex doesn't buy it.

"Seeing each other? Liz, you two don't even acknowledge one another…ever. If you were really a couple, you wouldn't treat each other like that in public too."

"Okay, I'll just admit it. Max and I were screwing around. We've spent the last three months having hot, meaningless sex with each other, no strings attached."

That gets him. Alex leans back in his seat, his mouth hanging open in shock. "You and Evans were…" he shudders. "Even while we were together? Oh God."

"I'm sorry, Alex," I tell him sincerely. "I didn't mean for it to happen; it's just that whenever I'm alone with him, I can't seem to help myself. And you and I…well, you said it yourself, we just weren't meant to be."

He nods in bewilderment. "Just…give me a minute to absorb all this, okay?"

It takes him a few moments, but he eventually seems to get over the shock.

"So," he says. "You and Evans have been secretly shagging for three months…well, what changed? How come you're suddenly a couple?"

I let out a sigh as I fill him in on my pregnancy scare, the fact that we 'broke up' for a while and that we've now realised our true feelings for each other. He's a little sceptical about the true nature of out newfound relationship, but eventually gives us his tentative blessing. Shortly after we've settled things, Maria joins us at the lunch table. We sit amicably together and although the subject of Max and I does come up in our conversation, I am grateful to both Alex and Maria for eventually accepting our relationship.

* * *

I don't see much of Max for the rest of the day, but as I head out of school after the final bell, he catches up with me in the corridor.

"Hey, you," he mumbles close to my ear as he slips an arm around my waist. "I've missed you today."

I grin, but roll my eyes as I turn to face him fully, "Max, we just had sex less than four hours ago!"

"I know; I don't care. I want you all the time," he murmurs against my throat and I can't help but blush with embarrassment.

"So," I start when I've recovered. "How did your friends take the news?"

He straightens up to look into my eyes. "Well, I'm not exactly in their good books today; but don't worry, I've made it perfectly clear that if they say even one thing out of line, I'll kick their asses."

"Oh, my big hero," I smirk, rolling my eyes.

He just grins, shrugs and swiftly changes the subject. "So, anyway, I wanna take you out tomorrow night," he declares. "On a date. How does dinner and a movie sound?"

Inside, I'm thrilled, but his teasing nature is rubbing off on me, "A date? On a Friday night - where everyone will see us? Surely not!"

"Aw, come on, Liz, say yes. Please?" He looks so hot when he's begging that I have to agree to his request.

"Alright, tomorrow night it is."

"Great," he grins and leans down for a quick kiss, before turning to leave. "I'll pick you up at eight."

_TBC…_


	11. Chapter 10 & Interlude IV

**Part Ten**

"So…" I start somewhat awkwardly, as we exit the movie theatre.

"So…" echoes Max as he walks next to me.

"Um…great movie," I provide, for lack of anything else to say.

"Yeah," he agrees, shoving his hands in his pockets.

This is weird. We're on our first official date and I have no idea how to behave around him. It's like I'm seeing this whole new side to his character. During the movie, he kept offering me popcorn and about a third of the way through; he slipped his hand in mine. And that was all. No wandering hands, no making out in the back seat, no attempts to seduce me in public. Just handholding. And for some reason, that irked me; I'm not used to being so restrained around him.

I frown, "Look, Max…I –"

"Hey," he cuts me off suddenly. "How about we get something to eat? There's a nice Mexican place down the road."

"Oh, um…sure," I say, a little bewildered at his strange, almost jittery behaviour. "Okay."

"Okay," he smiles a little and holds out his hand to me. I shoot him a curious look, but take his hand anyway. He leads me across the road, towards the quaint restaurant. Once inside, he asks for a table for two and within minutes, we're sitting opposite each other at a secluded table in the corner and the waiter has taken our drinks order. The atmosphere between us is still awkward and I quickly grab a menu and scan over it in an attempt to ease the tension.

I keep my eyes glued to the colourful print in front of me for several moments, before I realise that Max has not moved since we sat down, not even to pick up his menu. I look up to find him staring at me thoughtfully.

"What?" I wonder self-consciously.

He continues to watch me for a few more seconds before opening his mouth to reply, "I'm making a real mess of this, aren't I?"

"What? No you're not…" I start to protest, although I have to admit that this evening isn't turning out quite like I'd hoped.

"Yes, I am," he responds. "This was supposed to be a really great, fun night and everything just seems…off. I just…I don't know how I'm supposed to act around you now. It's our first date, and it's just turning out to be weird."

I smile and look down at the menu for a second before returning his gaze. He's just voiced my exact thoughts on the evening.

"You're right, it is kinda weird, and you know what? I have no idea how to act around you either," I confess.

He lets out a sigh and a small chuckle, "Man, who knew that sex could be such an ice-breaker?"

I laugh at his comical expression. "Yeah, who knew?"

He leans towards me, "Look, I wanna apologise for my behaviour tonight. I'm not usually like this on a date…you know, all quiet and awkward."

I hide a smirk, I can just imagine what he's normally like, but I can't help teasing him, "So what are you usually like?"

He makes a face, "I, uh…I don't think you wanna know."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that; I've heard about your reputation," I remind him. He blanches, but I carry on regardless, "Let me guess; you turn on the charm, offer to pay for everything; then halfway through the movie, you do that cheesy yawn and stretch move so you can put your arm around her, and by the end of the night, she's putty in your hands."

He shifts uncomfortably, "Well, I…uh…"

"Look, I don't care about that, okay? That's who you were," I shrug. "What I'm confused about is why you haven't done all that with me tonight."

He sighs, "Okay, so you're right. But, with you…Liz, you're different; you're not like all those other girls. You make me feel nervous and self-conscious because I know that you're not gonna buy those cheesy lines and sneaky moves. As much as I hate to admit it, I did do those things with a higher purpose in mind, if you catch my drift…" I nod; he was trying to get those other girls into bed. "But since you and I have already…you know…there didn't seem much point."

I roll my eyes, "Max, do you know how you sounded just then? Not exactly the way to get on my good side."

"Okay, okay," he backtracks quickly, holding his hands up in surrender. "I didn't mean it like that." He exhales loudly, "What I'm trying to say is that since all of that sex stuff is not an issue with us, I don't have that agenda to hide behind and all that's left now is the real stuff, the 'getting to know each other' parts, which I've never really done before. I'm in uncharted territory here, Liz and it's a little daunting."

For the first time tonight, I relax and lean forward. "It's daunting for me, too," I assure him. "I mean, we don't have anything in common, other than the fact that we both know the inside of the Eraser room so well." He grins and we share a sheepish look. "It's kind of like, what are we even supposed to talk about, you know? What if we find that we don't get on at all? What then?"

"Okay, first off, I'm just gonna say that I think you'd be wrong to think that we wouldn't get on." I open my mouth to protest, but he holds up a hand to stop me. "And secondly, let's not worry about that right now. I think the important thing is that we _want_ to try this; I want to meet the real Liz Parker, and if she's anything like the girl I've noticed already, I don't think there's much to dislike."

As he finishes, I have to look down and hope that he doesn't notice the huge blush that is rapidly sweeping over my cheeks. Unfortunately, barely a second later, his fingers are lifting my chin up and our eyes meet.

I smile lightly, ignoring the heat on my face, "You know, I wish I could say the same about you, but…" I trail off, almost embarrassed.

"Yeah," he sighs, releasing my chin, "I guess I've pretty much been an asshole to you. I'm sorry."

I shake my head in dismissal, "I'm used to it."

"Still…"

"Years ago, I came to the conclusion that the Max Evans everyone sees at school is probably just a mask you hide behind, one that's expected of you considering your status, and I just want you to know that I'm willing to stick around to find out what's underneath that mask."

He smiles gratefully.

"But," I continue smoothly, "It's like Maria said, I won't let you treat me the way you used to when we were in public, not if you're going to be my boyfriend. If you so much look at me that way, that's it, we're over. Got it?"

He straightens in his seat, "Got it."

"Good. Then let's order." As I return to the menu, Max picks up his, but doesn't open it. Instead, he just sits there stiffly.

I frown, and look up at him again in concern. "What is it? Did I say something out of line?"

He swallows, "Oh, um, no." He leans in close to me and whispers, "You know how I said before that you should stand up for yourself more often? Well, feel free to stand up to me any time. It's a real turn on," he winks.

Oh God. He's doing it to me again; he's making me horny. I'm not going to be able to concentrate for the rest of the meal now.

Somehow (don't ask me how) I manage to keep my emotions in check as we order our food. Now that we've talked a little, dinner goes pretty well. We talk about all kinds of things and discuss our plans for the future (I'm hoping to go to Harvard; he hasn't decided yet), and all the while I'm very much aware of Max's foot creeping up my leg beneath the table. By the end of the meal, I'm so turned on I can barely think straight and my body is literally begging for his touch.

As Max walks me home and we say goodbye at my door,I have to admit that I'm more than a little disappointed when he does nothing more than lower his lips to mine for a goodnight kiss. However, it quickly begins to spiral out of control and before I know it his arms are around me and his hands are on my butt, bringing my lower body into contact with his hard length.

"Do you wanna come up?" I invite breathlessly, between kisses. "My parents are out of town this weekend."

He pulls away, placing a gentle kiss on my nose, "As much as I'd love to, I'm going to have to say no. Tonight is different; it's about us getting to know each other better. I don't want to spoil that now."

I smile, "Who knew that you could be so noble and restrained?"

He rolls his eyes, "Believe me, it's much harder than it looks." I smirk at his intentional double entendre. "I want you so much right now, but I'm going to respect your honour and not take advantage of you on the first date."

"Okay, fine, I'll accept that…for now," I finally concede, although I'm secretly thrilled to find out that he really is a gentleman after all. "But, you can't leave me hanging for long; I don't think I could stand it."

He grins, "And who knew that the school science geek could be such a sex fiend?"

I blush, but then our eyes lock once more and he lowers his head for a final kiss. It's a full five minutes before we finally let each other go and he leaves. With a sigh, I let myself in, and head upstairs to (in the words of Mr. Alex Whitman himself) go and have a talk with myself.

* * *

**Interlude IX**

It's been almost exactly twenty-four hours since my first official date with Max Evans, and what am I doing? I'm watching TV in my room…alone. My boyfriend is the hottest, most sought-after guy at school and I'm home alone on a Saturday night with nothing to do but watch 90210 reruns and pig out on microwave popcorn. Go figure!

Anyway, I manage to make it through two and a half episodes before the phone rings.

"Hey, you," comes the velvety tone that makes me weak at the knees.

"Hey, yourself," I grin down the phone.

"So, what's up?" he asks.

"Oh, not much, just watching TV," I reply lightly, before I realise something and frown. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be at that party thing tonight?"

Apparently, every couple of weeks, all the guys get together and hang out at someone's house for an evening of watching sports and drinking beer (insert eye-roll here) and tonight, the little gathering was being held at Matthews' house.

"Oh yeah, that," he says flatly. "To be honest, there wasn't much happening tonight."

"Oh," I mutter. Something must be up because as far as I can tell, Max practically lives for his guy's nights.

"Well, uh, actually…" he starts. I knew there was something! "Matthews kinda said some stuff about you and I punched him. After that, I sorta had to leave."

In other words, he got kicked out. I can't suppress the grin that appears on my face at the thought of Max standing up for me and defending my honour.

"Oh?" I say again, but this time I'm interested.

"Yeah," he says sheepishly, before swiftly changing the subject. "So, anyway, what are you wearing?"

My grin quickly turns into something in between surprise that he was so blunt and excitement that he's suddenly getting playful with me.

"Why, did you have something in mind?" I tease. "What would you like me to be wearing?"

"Oh, God," he mutters, and I grin. I bet his imagination is running wild right now.

"What would you say if I told you I was busy enjoying myself in black lacy lingerie and suspenders?"

"I …um, well…" he gulps on the other end, but then pauses for a moment. When he speaks again, his voice has a teasing tone, "Actually, I'd say you were a liar, and that you were wearing grey sweatpants and a pink halter neck."

I take a quick glance down at my clothes to discover that he's right, before whipping my head to the door. It's closed. I frown in confusion. How does he know what I'm wearing? Unless…I turn my head towards the window; sure enough, there he is, crouched outside on the balcony.

"Shit, Max…you scared me!" I exclaim into the phone as I get off the bed and make my way to the window.

"What are you doing here?" I ask as I lift the window, hang up the phone and let him inside.

He shuts off his phone and shrugs, a mischievous grin on his face, "I just wanted to see you."

"Really…you just wanted to see me?" I wonder. "And this doesn't have anything to do with what we didn't do last night?"

He just about squirms under my gaze; you know, this is fun. I know exactly why he's here. Obviously twenty-four hours were as long as he could hold out after our date yesterday. Not that I blame him, it's been a pretty restless day for me too.

"Well, uh…" he mumbles, reaching up to scratch his ear.

I chuckle, "Come here, you."

I pull him to me, my hands cupping his face, and fuse our lips together almost forcefully. His arms wind around my waist, his fingers dipping beneath my top briefly, before moving up to my neck to untie the strings holding it in place. The material falls to just above my breasts and he walks his fingers across my shoulders, down over my collarbone towards my chest. I attempt to suck in a breath – not easy when your tongue is otherwise occupied - as he traces my breasts over the material before tugging it down to my waist, leaving me topless before him.

I whisper his name against his lips as I slip my hands down to his shirt and begin unbuttoning it, running my hands over his smooth, yet hard chest and stomach as I go. He lets me slip it off his shoulders, his hands leaving my breasts briefly as I do so, but instead of returning them to their previous position, he reaches for my top and pushes it down over my hips, effortlessly taking my sweatpants with it. Seconds later, I stand before him in nothing but white lace panties as his gaze roams my body hungrily.

I bite back a smile as I recall what he said to me last night – about me standing up to him being a turn on – and lean up to whisper in his ear.

"Take your pants off," I order softly.

"Um, okay…" he swallows, but complies nonetheless, dropping his pants and stepping out of them.

I nod approvingly at the sight of him in tight black boxers, which leave nothing to the imagination, and then extend my hand to him.

"Come here…" I say as I lead him towards the bed. I nudge him backwards, until the back of his knees hit the end and he falls backwards onto the mattress. I climb onto the bed after him and boldly straddle his waist. As I lower my head to kiss him again, his hands come up to rest on my hips, urging me closer. However, I'm not done with him yet.

"Take off your boxers," I tell him between kisses. When he nods, I manoeuvre myself off him and come to rest at his side. I watch as he reaches down and slips the tight material over his hips, releasing his straining erection in the process. He kicks the boxers to the floor and then looks up at me in anticipation. I pull myself up and straddle him once more; this time though, I place myself on his thighs.

I lean forward; trapping his length between our bodies and whisper in his ear once more, "Touch yourself, Max."

"What?" he murmurs clearly confused.

"I said, touch yourself," I repeat slowly. "Show me what you do to get off."

"Liz, I –" he shakes his head.

"Do you know what the thought of you doing that does to me?" I murmur, sitting up slightly and tracing my nipples with the tips of my fingers. "It makes me so horny I can't think straight."

"Oh, God," he mutters throatily, as his hand moves to his length.

I watch in fascination as he begins stroking himself before my eyes. My breathing quickens in time with his faint moans and I feel myself getting wet.

"Liz, oh God…" he moans, watching me as he pumps his hand up and down. I take the opportunity to get off the bed, remove my panties and grab a condom, before moving over him once more.

"Here, let me," I tell him, stilling his hand with my own and wrapping my fingers around him. His head falls back against the pillow, his eyes closing in pleasure as I stroke him. I reach for the condom and roll it over him quickly before sinking down onto him.

"Yes…" he mutters when I begin rocking my hips above him. His hands slide up my thighs, over my hips and come to rest on my breasts. He massages and squeezes them as his hips begin to thrust upwards in time with my movements. I feel the pleasure building within me and I know that I'm close. I close my eyes, ready to let my orgasm wash over me, but suddenly I find myself being pulled down towards Max, as his tongue begs entrance to my mouth. Before I know it, he's rolled over and I am trapped deliciously beneath him. Now he takes control, thrusting into me earnestly, his mouth pressing urgent kisses to my face and neck. Just as I realise that he is also extremely close, his hand snakes between our sweaty bodies and he strokes my clit, causing me to go over the edge. Max follows shortly and then collapses on top of me in sated exhaustion.

Afterwards, we lie together in my bed; the sheet only reaching our waists and Max gently strokes my arm with his fingers.

"Wow," I mutter. "That was much-needed and very, very good."

"I couldn't agree with you more," he smirks, leaning over for a quick kiss. "Come on, let's go to sleep. You look exhausted."

"Well, whose fault is that?" I retort playfully. "Cause I seem to remember that you were the one who showed up on my balcony earlier."

He shrugs, "Okay, so it's my fault. But you can't tell me it wasn't worth it."

"No, that I can't," I chuckle.

We hold each other for several more minutes until Max drifts off to sleep. My last thought before I too succumb to tiredness is that, right now, I love my life.

_TBC…_


	12. Chapter 11

**Part Eleven**

_**Two months later…**_

"Congratulations, Class of 2006!" the voice of our principal booms out over the loudspeakers. It's Graduation day and we've finally made it. No more high school. Ever!

I look over to the other side of the hall to find Maria. A few rows up and across, she turns her head just as I find her in the crowd and we share a congratulatory smile. Behind Maria, another head turns to see just what she's grinning about and his gaze locks with mine. His eyes shine with a mixture of pride and happiness as he sends me a wink. I return his infectious grin, although I can't help but lower my head and blush when he doesn't look away immediately.

It's amazing to think how much has happened in the last few months and how much I've learned about the inner workings of Max Evans' mind. I'll be the first to admit that eight months ago I had little intention of pursuing him (in real life, at least), yet only a couple of months later, I was spending most of my free time screwing him anywhere I could and as often as possible. It almost seems unbelievable that three months after that, we fell in love (well, that's what I like to think, at least. Neither one of us has actually technically voiced those three little words yet).

There's so much that I've learned about the real Max Evans in the last few weeks. The most significant thing being that despite the moody, uninterested attitude he displays towards most people, he is a very different person around those he loves and cares about, namely his family. Not long after we began dating properly, he invited me over for dinner with his parents and I have to say that that evening was a real eye-opener. Seemingly out of nowhere, he became this funny, yet considerate guy who obviously has a great deal of respect for both of his parents and who values his loved ones immensely.

After that night, I confided some of this new information to Maria, in the hopes that she would finally realise that Max wasn't who she thought he was. While it did give him a small amount of merit in her eyes, Maria was very adamant in questioning his faithfulness towards me and even brought Max's so-called relationship with Tess Harding into the conversation – something I didn't need to be reminded of, considering Miss Harding's reaction to Max and I on the Monday after our first date…

* * *

**_Two months earlier_**

"_Man, I still can't believe you're dating Max Evans," states Maria, shaking her head as she leans against the locker next to mine. "Seriously, Liz; the guy is bad news."_

"_Maria, stop being so overdramatic," I sigh as I pull my books from my locker. "He was a perfect gentlemen on Friday night. We didn't do anything more than kissing." Well, almost nothing more, I add silently. And let's not forget about Saturday night!_

"_I still think you're making a big mistake," she tells me._

_I close my eyes briefly before shutting my locker and turning to face her. "Look, Maria, I know you don't approve, but please can you leave it alone? It's going to be hard enough with everyone staring at us everywhere we go, without you having a go at me too. Please can you accept that I've made my decision and I'm not changing my mind about this? You know what, maybe I have made a mistake, but that's for me to find out by myself. And don't worry, I can handle Max Evans," I assure her._

_She sighs in defeat, but then straightens suddenly, "Okay, so maybe you can, but I think your life's about to get much harder."_

_I frown in confusion, but Maria just nods her head at something behind me and as soon as I see what she's talking about, my heart sinks._

_Tess Harding is striding purposefully down the hallway, right towards me and she doesn't look happy. _

"_What the hell do you think you're doing with Max Evans, bitch?" she spits as she comes to a stop in front of me, her hands placed on her hips defiantly._

_You know what? I'm not gonna just stand here and take this!_

_I straighten up and glare right back at her, "And what's it to you, tramp?"_

_Her eyes narrow and she leans in close to me, "He's mine, that's what."_

_I scoff and shake my head in disbelief. "As I recall, he hasn't been yours for almost two weeks, Tess," I smirk, suddenly wondering where I got all this confidence from. "Besides, from what I heard, you were screwing around behind his back for weeks before he finally broke it off."_

"_Woo, you go, girl!" exclaims Maria from behind me, but it only seems to aggravate Tess' anger._

"_Why, you little…" she starts furiously._

"_Little, what? Slut? Bitch? Come on, Tess; don't be afraid to speak your mind. It's nothing I can't handle," I goad her. Even though I know nothing good can possibly come out of this, I can't seem to help myself. Let's just say it's been a long time coming._

_She squares her jaw and I can see it twitching in anger, but while I'm prepared for her taunts and insults, I'm not prepared for what she does next. Almost in slow motion, I watch her lift her hand from her hip and raise it above her head before bringing it down towards my face. Instinctively, I close my eyes and brace myself for the sting of her palm hitting my cheek, but it never comes. Instead, I hear Max's deathly calm voice. _

"_I wouldn't do that if I were you, Tess," he growls menacingly. I open my eyes to see him standing slightly behind Tess, his hand firmly grasping her wrist, effectively stopping the movement of her arm._

"_But, Max," whines Tess pitifully. "This little bitch seems to think she can steal you from me. Set her straight for me, would you?"_

_Max smirks at her request, turning to face her, still grasping her wrist. I hold my breath in preparation for what he's about to say. "You know what? You're right, Tess. Liz can't steal me from you, because I'm not yours; I haven't been yours for a long time and if I remember correctly, you stopped being mine right around the time that you decided to sleep with Matthews behind my back."_

_As much as I'm enjoying Max laying into Tess like this, I can't help but remember that he'd been cheating on her with me for several weeks before she was unfaithful. I guess maybe that should make me question his loyalties, but I have to admit that I was just as bad regarding Alex, so I guess that makes us even. _

_I watch as Max finally lets go of her and then moves to join me, threading an arm around my waist._

"_I'm with Liz now, Tess. Accept that or get the hell away from us, okay?"_

_Tess doesn't say anything, but fixes both of us with a withering glare, before turning on her heels and marching away. I let out a sigh of relief as she turns the corner and Max tightens his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him._

"_I'm sorry about that," he murmurs into my hair as he places a kiss to the top of my head. _

"_It's okay, Max. I can handle Tess Harding's little tantrums."_

"_Still, I'm going to make sure she doesn't come near you or us ever again, okay?"_

_I smile, inwardly flattered that he's being so protective of me. _

"_Thank you, Max," I say as I lean up for a kiss, ignoring the stares and whispers from passing students._

"_Well, I, uh…" behind me, Maria clears her throat uncomfortably. "I'm just gonna go…do something…else…"_

_I tear my lips from Max's in time to see her making a hasty retreat down the corridor, although just before she ducks into the bathroom, she gives me a smile and a discreet thumbs-up._

_Maybe she's starting to come around to Max after all…_

_

* * *

_

"Hey, Liz, get up…ceremony's over!" Alex's amused tone startles me from my daydream.

I shake my head to rid my mind of the memory of that encounter with the 'bitch from hell' and notice that I'm one of the few people still sitting down. Slightly embarrassed, I quickly stand up and take a look around the auditorium. I see Maria being congratulated by her mom and Alex's parents standing at the end of the row waiting for him to join them once more. My eyes wander to the left, where I notice Max standing with his parents and his sister. I also notice that beside me, Alex can barely keep his eyes off Miss Isabel Evans – see I told you he liked someone else! Just as I'm about to turn away and greet my own parents, Max looks in my direction and sends me a grin and a wink, which I happily return before making my way across the room to where my parents are waiting anxiously.

The second I reach them, I find myself engulfed in a three-way hug as both my parents descend on me at once. They congratulate me on graduating in the top five of the class and can't seem to stop gushing over how grown-up and academic I look. Then, both Maria and Alex come over with their parents and our little gathering becomes one big hug-fest. The moment is made complete when I feel a pair of strong, male arms wrap around me from behind and Max places a sweet kiss on my cheek, whispering 'Congratulations, sweetheart' in my ear. I shiver as he says the words – it's almost strange to here the normally emotionally reserved captain of the football team call me 'sweetheart', but I love it all the same.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Parker, Mr. Parker," he greet my parents, offering his hand to each of them.

"Hello, Max," my mom replies pleasantly, shaking his hand. Surprisingly, both Mom and Dad accepted my relationship with Max pretty well, although Dad still hasn't decided if he's totally trustworthy yet; but hey, that's my father for you. "Congratulations on graduating today," she adds.

"Thank you, Mrs. Parker," he replies, shaking my dad's hand as well before placing his hand back on my waist once more. "I hope you don't mind if I steal Liz away for a few minutes; I'd like to talk to her."

He wants to talk to me? I wonder what about?

"No, of course not, Max," says Mom quickly, with a smile. "Go right ahead."

Honestly, my boyfriend is such a suck-up sometimes – he has my mom wrapped right around his little finger. She thinks he's the world's perfect gentleman…if only she knew what we get up to behind closed doors!

Max looks down over my shoulder at me with a grin and then slides his hand into mine, "Come on then, _Lizzie_," he stresses, knowing that I can't stand being called that, but that my parents love it. "Let's get out of here for a bit."

"Okay," I smile. "See you guys in a few," I tell my parents as Max begins to drag me away.

As we leave the hall, I hear my mom comment, "Aww, don't they make such a cute couple?"

I roll my eyes and fake-gag at her words, but Max sees me, and starts chuckling. I try to swat his shoulder but he dodges out of the way, grabs my arm so I can't hit him and pulls me through the crowd of people milling around outside the auditorium. We end up in the courtyard, away from all the students and parents and Max leads me to a secluded spot beneath the huge oak tree in the corner of the quad.

The second we come to a stop, Max's lips are on mine, gently probing my mouth. I open up to him eagerly, my hands coming up to cup his jaw as he removes the mortarboard from my head and then slips his hands inside my graduation robe to hold me tighter. We stay like that, locked in our embrace, for several moments until the need for air becomes evident and I have to pull away.

"Hey, I thought we came out here to talk?" I ask breathlessly. "Not that I don't mind the kissing, it's just –" He cuts me off with a finger to my lips.

"You're right, we are here to talk; I just couldn't resist," he teases and I blush.

"So, um, what did you want to talk about?" I ask after I've recovered from my embarrassment.

He exhales, taking a step back and bringing my hands down from his neck to slip his fingers in mine, "Right, um…okay, here goes: Liz, I know our relationship didn't exactly get off on the right foot and that I should have fixed that sooner, but these last couple of months with you have been…out of this world…and I'm so sorry for how my friends treated you; how I treated you during that time. I know the next few months are going to be difficult with you going off to Harvard and me studying at Northwestern, but I know we can make it." I smile at the determination in his voice. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't ever want to lose you, Liz," he tells me sincerely. "I love you."

I open my mouth to respond to those three little words…and nothing comes out. I'm so overwhelmed by his sudden announcement that the reply gets stuck in my throat.

"Liz?" asks Max, concerned. "Are you okay?"

My eyes widen. Oh God, he thinks I'm rejecting him. I nod furiously in answer to his last question, as I swallow harshly to clear the lump in my throat.

"Y-yes," I manage finally. "I'm fine, really." He smiles in relief. "I-I love you too, Max."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," I nod, as I slip my arms around his neck and pull him down for a kiss, to which he complies eagerly.

After what seems like forever, we pull apart and just stare into each other's eyes. His thumbs are gently caressing my cheeks whilst my fingers curl through the soft hair at the back of his neck.

"Max?" I begin hesitantly, a few seconds later.

"Yeah?" he asks distractedly, placing a soft kiss on the side of my mouth.

"I've been doing some thinking lately and…well, what would you say if I told you that I didn't want to go to Harvard anymore?"

He pulls back quickly, "What?"

"What if I went to Northwestern as well? I mean, I did apply there too and they offered me a scholarship…"

"Liz," he shakes his head. "Come on, you're not serious! You've been dreaming about Harvard for years and now they've not only offered you a place, but you have a full scholarship. You'd be crazy to turn that down just to come to Northwestern with me."

His words make me think. He's right; I've wanted to go to a top school like Harvard for as long as I can remember and now that I have the chance to go – and have my fees paid by the university – it does seem pretty stupid to give that up. But the thing is; my reason for wanting to go to Northwestern isn't entirely because of Max. I've been feeling for a while now that maybe Harvard isn't the place for me. I always thought it would be, but the closer we get to freshman year in the fall, the more I've been dreading it.

However, right this moment, as I see how much Max wants this for me, I can't bring myself to voice my concerns. Instead, I smile, wrap my arms even tighter around him and kiss him senseless in an attempt to forget about the impending future and live for the now.

And right now, I'm happy and in love with the most wonderful, sexy (not to mention, horny), guy in the world.

Who cares about all that other stuff in the future?

_**End…Epilogue to follow**__._


	13. Epilogue

Thank you for your feedback, everyone, I really appreciate hearing your thoughts :):

**Kissin** **Concern** – Glad you enjoyed it :).

**Josephine** – Yeah, Max was a jerk in the story, but he came around eventually :).

**Lillian** – Thank you, although I'm afraid I'm not a very fast writer (at least, not anymore) - the reason I've been able to update so frequently is that I wrote and finished this story four years ago!

* * *

**Epilogue**

**Ten years later…**

"Hi, welcome to the West Roswell High Class of 2006 ten-year reunion," chirps the incredibly upbeat and smiley woman manning the welcome desk. Her face seems somewhat familiar, but I can't place it. I guess she must have been at Roswell High around the same time as I was, though. "Can I take your name, please?"

"Max Evans," I tell her with a small smile.

I watch her eyes widen slightly as she takes in my appearance. I guess I've changed a little since high school. For one, I decided to grow my hair out a couple of years ago and so now it kind of curls around my ears and the back of my neck. I'm sure that I've probably filled out somewhat in the last ten years – I suppose that's what getting older does to you.

"Max Evans…" she murmurs as she scans the name badges laid out on the table in front of her. "Ahh…here we go, here's your name badge and our welcome brochure," she says, handing me the badge and a small wad of papers. "No guest with you today, Max?"

"Uh, no, um…Amanda," I say, taking a quick look at the nametag on her shirt, the one I didn't see before. "No guest."

"Oh…well, then, I hope you enjoy the reunion, Max."

"Thank you, I will," I tell her, flashing a quick smile before heading inside the school building.

It feels strange to be walking through these corridors again after so many years. On the one hand, it feels like I never left, but on the other…so much has changed since then. There are new department buildings dotted around the premises and all the classrooms have the latest computing technology, yet most of the posters and pictures on the walls are exactly the same. On my way to the gym where the celebrations are being held, I pass the one room I didn't expect to see ever again…the Eraser Room. I slow down as I approach it, only to be assaulted with images and memories of spending so much time in that room in senior year with Liz Parker.

Liz Parker.

Just the thought of her is enough to send shivers down my spine, even after all this time. It's been almost ten years since I last saw her and although I vowed to put her and our short, but intense relationship out of my mind for good, I can't help but wonder how she is and what she's been doing these past few years. In high school, Liz was the first girl to ever really catch my attention, and also the one girl I believed I could never have. Back then, she was pure and innocent and sweet and I was…well, to be honest, I was a bastard in high school. I thought I had it all. I was captain of the football team and I was popular. I could have pretty much any girl I wanted, and I guess I did, with the exception of Liz Parker that was. By senior year, I had spent so long admiring her from afar, with no chance of getting close to her, that I was ready to give up once and for all, especially when she came back in the fall on the arm of Alex Whitman. That was the last straw, I guess. After that, I gave up any hope I had of being with her; I let my so-called friends bully her and taunt her, and I actually agreed to date Tess Harding, basically all for the sake of trying to get her out of my mind.

However, it didn't work, not entirely, and one day my control just snapped. There she was, looking gorgeous as she worked on an experiment in the lab and I couldn't resist. I don't think I ever told her how glad I was that I was the only one with detention that day and that Ms. Johnson had a meeting to go to. At first, I just meant to kiss her; I wasn't expecting her to be into it too and I definitely wasn't expecting to get in her pants that day. But after our little excursion in the supply closet, I thought that maybe I'd finally gotten her out of my system and I convinced myself that it could only ever be a one-time thing. So, when she came to me a few days later and suggested that we make an arrangement to get together on a regular basis, I tried to think of every excuse I could for it being a bad idea. The problem was, I just couldn't resist her and if a no-strings relationship was what she wanted, then that was what I had to settle for. So we had casual sex, right here in the Eraser Room (among other places) for almost 3 months. I was finally beginning to accept that what I had with Liz could never be anything more than casual, when something completely unexpected happened to change everything. She announced that she thought she could be pregnant.

Now, while I admit that my reaction to that was totally unreasonable and selfish, it was entirely instinctual. Can you imagine spending three months of your life in a meaningless relationship with the only girl you ever really felt anything for, convincing yourself that you had to close off your feelings from the relationship; and when you finally got her out of your mind in that way, she tells you she might be carrying your child? There was no way I could be around her, care for her and the baby, without acknowledging my true feelings; I just couldn't do that. So instead, I cut her out of my life. Even at the time, I knew it was an incredibly stupid and hurtful thing to do, but I didn't know what else to do.

It took me more than two weeks to realise what I'd given up and what I'd lost by treating her that way, but I should have known that just approaching her unexpectedly and telling her that I wanted to be with her wouldn't go down well, especially after how I'd behaved towards her. What she said to me that afternoon by the lockers really got to me. I understood then that I had given her no reason whatsoever to see me as anything but an insensitive bastard. So over the next three weeks, I tried to change. I broke things off with Tess – not that we'd been faithful to each other during our relationship anyway; I told the guys to tone it down a bit (which was difficult since I wasn't about to tell them the reason why); and on top of all that, I found myself unable to keep my eyes off Liz.

I almost couldn't believe it when she finally agreed to go out with me, and although at first it was hard to shake my old ways, I really did try hard to treat her well and respect her. Those first couple of dates were actually kind of weird – talking to her normally, about all kinds of things was kind of strange – but we still had that amazing chemistry in the bedroom, except now that we were dating, the sex was a hundred times better. We were still going strong at Graduation and I thought everything was going great – Liz was headed off to Harvard and I'd managed to get a football scholarship to Northwestern – until that fateful day at the end of the summer when everything fell apart…

* * *

_**August 2006**_

_Liz and I are relaxing in the chair on her balcony. She's sandwiched between my legs, reading a book and I can't help running my fingers through her soft, silky hair as she concentrates on the words in front of her._

"_Liz?" I ask tentatively, knowing that what I'm going to bring up has been a fairly sensitive subject between us lately._

"_Yeah?" she murmurs as she turns the page of her book._

"_I was wondering…well, hoping, really…that maybe we could do something special tonight," I start._

"_Special?" she asks, turning her face towards me slightly. "Like what?"_

"_Well, I was thinking…dinner at that new Italian place and then maybe a night in, just the two of us?"_

"_Well, I think that sounds great, Max, but what's all this in aid of?"_

_I frown, does she seriously not know?_

"_Well, in case you've forgotten, you're leaving for Harvard soon and I want to do something special for you before you leave."_

_Suddenly, she stiffens in my arms and pulls away from me until she's perched on the end of the chaise longue._

"_What? What's wrong, Liz?" I ask in concern, although I have a pretty good idea what might be up._

_See, we've kinda been having these little arguments lately, about college. Back at Graduation, she mentioned the possibility of coming to Northwestern with me, and as much as I would love it if we were attending the same school, I know that I can't let her give up her dream for me. In fact, I really want her to go to Harvard; I mean, how many guys can say that their girlfriend is a Harvard scholar and that they're unbelievably proud of her? However, I just don't know how to make her realise that as hard as it's going to be, being apart is going to be for the best in the long run. All these thoughts run through my head as I watch Liz drop the book to the ground and run her hands through her hair tiredly._

"_Liz, seriously, what is it?" I question once more and almost wish I hadn't when she looks up at me with a solemn expression marring her beautiful features._

"_Max, I think we need to talk," she tells me eventually._

_My heart sinks. It's never good when a girl says 'we need to talk'._

"_Okay," I say slowly, adjusting my position on the chaise so that my feet are on the floor. "So, what do you want to talk about?"_

"_Max, I'm not going to Harvard," she says slowly, determinedly._

_What? What is she talking about? Of course she's going to Harvard!_

"_Liz, what are you talking about? Orientation is next week; you've already been assigned a room and a roommate; you can't not go now!"_

_She shakes her head. "I'm not going to Harvard," she repeats forcefully. "And nothing you can do or say will change my mind about this."_

"_B-but if you don't go to Harvard…what are you going to do? Does that mean you're coming to Northwestern with me?" I stutter. As much as I think she should be at Harvard where she belongs, my heart does a little leap at the thought of spending the next four years with her._

_She just gazes at me sadly, before slowly shaking her head, "No, Max, I'm not."_

"_But –" I start, although I can't continue. My head is spinning; if she's not going to Harvard and she's not coming to Northwestern, then where is she going to college, and why hasn't she spoken to me about this before?_

"_Look," she says. "I've been thinking about this for a while now and I've realised that Harvard just isn't the right place for me," she tells me softly. "…And neither is Northwestern." _

"_But, Liz, I don't understand…" _

"_Max, I'm going to college in California…UCLA," she admits softly. "I leave tomorrow."_

_She…what?_

"_You leave tomorrow –?" My voice trails off in disbelief, but it only takes a second for the anger to kick in. I narrow my eyes, "And you weren't going to tell me about this? You were gonna keep it a secret and what…leave before I even knew what was happening? I can't believe this." I shake my head._

"_Max, I'm just doing what's best for me, here. I'm sorry, but I can't help the way I feel," she tells me._

"_And what about me? Do you even care how I feel about this, about the fact that you've been lying to me for weeks, making me believe you were going to Harvard, when instead you were planning on moving to the other side of the country?"_

"_Max, I –" she starts, but I hold up a hand to stop her._

"_Look, you know what, I don't care anymore, okay? I'm fed up of fighting with you; of you lying to me; in fact, I'm fed up of this whole thing!" I practically shout. Inside, my heart is breaking, but my head just can't get around the fact that she's been lying to me about this for so long. "You know what? You can go off to LA and have a brilliant four years for all I care; I'm outta here. Have a nice life, Liz."_

_I don't even look at her as I walk blindly towards the balcony ladder and climb over the wall. But the second I'm out of sight, I close my eyes in anguish, almost unable to comprehend what just happened. Did Liz and I really just break up?_

_

* * *

_

I blink as the memory fades from my mind and I'm left staring at the Eraser room door. That was the last time I ever saw Liz Parker. Although I was pretty angry at her for lying to me, I did manage to calm down enough to go see her the next day and apologise, but when I got to the Crashdown, Maria informed me that Liz had already left for California and had also left strict instructions not to try to contact her. I spent the rest of the day and the following few weeks walking around feeling totally hopeless and as a result, those first couple of months at Northwestern were pretty miserable. At one point, I even came seriously close to losing my football scholarship. It took me a while, but I eventually began to recover and move on with my life. One issue still remains though: I have never forgotten Liz Parker.

I shake my head and bring myself back to the present, to the reason I'm here – the reunion. Now, I'd be lying if I said that a small part of me wasn't hoping to see Liz here today, but to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't show.

"Oh my God, Max? Max Evans?" My head whips round at the unexpected voice behind me, although my lips curl up into a smile when I see who it is.

"Kyle Valenti," I greet in surprise. "Long time, no see. It's great to see you;"

Kyle was on the football team with me back in senior year. He was a pretty nice guy, although we didn't really hang out that much, due to my incredibly stupid choice of friends back in high school.

"You too, man," he responds with a smile and then offers me a friendly pat on the back. "How about we head to the gym? I'll buy you a beer for old time's sake and we can catch up with all our old friends."

I grin, my miserable mood evaporating for the moment, "Sounds good to me."

We approach the gym, whilst discussing what we're doing with ourselves now; it seems that, unlike me, Kyle stayed with sport, and now he's an assistant football coach at UNM. We enter the gym and head straight for the bar in the corner. Kyle orders two beers and hands one to me. I lean against the counter and take a swig.

"So, you here with anyone?" asks Kyle.

I shake my head, "No, you?"

"Yeah, I am actually," he grins suddenly. "See that gorgeous brunette over there?" He indicates a tall, slender woman chatting amicably to some of my old classmates. "That's Sarah, my wife."

I turn to him in surprise, "Wow, congratulations, Valenti."

"Thanks, man."

"So, how long have you been married?"

"Five years next month," he states proudly. "I'm whisking her off to the Caribbean for our anniversary in a couple of weeks."

"Wow," I repeat. "She is one lucky woman."

"Yeah," he murmurs, his gaze fixed on his wife.

Out of nowhere, I feel a pang in my chest and I suddenly realise how much I actually want what he has – a loving wife, a house in the suburbs; maybe even kids someday. But in order to do that, I need someone to share that with, and that's where my plan is sadly lacking. That's not to say that I've been a saint these past few years, but I have yet to find anyone special. In fact if I'm totally honest, I haven't yet found anyone who can make me feel the way Liz Parker did all those years ago.

"So…" Kyle's voice interrupts my thoughts. I look up to find him studying me thoughtfully. "I take it you and Liz Parker didn't work out, then?"

"Oh, um…no, we didn't," I manage as I take another swig from my beer.

"Oh, man, I'm sorry," he says. "The two of you were good together. She really brought out the best in you, you know."

_Yeah, Kyle, I know_, I commiserate silently.

"I guess it just wasn't meant to be," I say, quickly moving the bottle to my mouth again in an attempt to block out the memories. "Besides, I haven't seen her in years…no need to dwell on the past."

Kyle just nods slightly and we stand there in silence for a few moments, as he watches Sarah from across the room and I let my gaze wander aimlessly around the room. Seated around one of the tables in the centre of the room, are several of the old football players – the jocks – and a few of the cheerleaders. I can see John Matthews and Sam Davis trying to be the centre of attention as usual, but what surprises me the most is the person to Matthews' left; the one with her hand wrapped around his upper arm. It's Tess Harding. A very pregnant Tess Harding…or perhaps that's Tess Matthews now, judging by the rock on her ring finger. I guess it turned out to be a good thing that she decided to cheat on me with him back in senior year.

As I watch everyone at the table, I realise that I have absolutely no desire to go over there to catch up with them. In fact, for the life of me, I can't even remember why I was friends with them in the first place. It's like Liz said back in high school; they were total bastards, and looking back on it, I can't believe that I ever acted that way just to be cool.

"Oh, holy shit," mutters Kyle from beside me.

"What?"

With a frown, I turn my head to see what's wrong. He doesn't say anything, but indicates towards the door with his beer bottle. I follow his gaze. Holy shit is just about right. There standing in the doorway, on the arm of a guy who could only be described as having just stepped off the cover of GQ, is Liz Parker. I can do nothing but stare at her, my drink frozen halfway to my lips. She looks absolutely amazing in a knee length, flowing skirt and low cut silky top. She's wearing high-heeled sandals, which only accentuate her tanned, slender legs. Her long, dark hair frames her face in soft curls and it looks even softer and shinier than ever. I gulp at the vision in front of me, before tearing my eyes away from her and fixing my gaze on the man next to her, who has now snaked his arm around her waist. I feel an incredible surge of jealousy engulf my entire body and it is in that moment that I realise I've never gotten over Liz Parker, not even a little bit. She always had this amazing power over me, over my body and just the slightest glimpse of her from across the room has brought it all flooding back to me.

My view of Liz is suddenly cut off when Sarah, Kyle's wife approaches us.

"Hey, you," she greets Kyle and leans up for a kiss.

"Hey, yourself," he replies happily, slipping his arm around her waist, before looking over at me. "Max, there's someone I want you to meet. This is Sarah, my beautiful wife." She blushes at the compliment. "Sarah, this is Max. He was captain of the football team senior year."

She smiles and it lights up her whole face. "Nice to meet you, Max," she says, holding out her hand in greeting.

I shake it and nod, "You, too, Sarah."

"I hope my Kyle's been behaving himself over here; I don't want to have to drag his intoxicated butt back to the hotel tonight."

"Hey," protests Kyle. "I've only had one beer!"

With a smirk, she pats his arm, "And you know how you get after only a couple of drinks, so maybe you ought to stop soon."

"Man," he grins, shaking his head and turning to me again. "Do you see what I have to put up with?"

I fight the urge to laugh and roll my eyes. Suddenly, I really like this Sarah.

"Aww, poor baby," smirks Sarah again. "But, you know you love me anyway."

"That I do," murmurs Kyle and they share another kiss. "And you know I could never live without you."

Ugh, someone shoot me; I don't know how long I can stand this sappy stuff. Not only is it so sweet and sickly that I want to gag, but it also reminds me that it's the one thing lacking in my life and right now I really don't want to think about the fact that the one person how could ever make me that happy is currently standing across the room, on the arm of another man.

In a desperate attempt to get my mind off Liz Parker, I say my goodbyes to Kyle and Sarah and leave them to it. I make my way across the room, trying to get as far away from Liz as possible, but unfortunately I only get halfway before someone stops me with a high-pitched, "Max? Is that you?"

I close my eyes for a second before reluctantly turning around.

"Tess," I greet flatly, whilst trying desperately not to stare at her rounded belly.

She smiles, "Wow, it _is_ you, and don't you look totally gorgeous?"

I frown at the compliment. "Was there something you wanted, Tess?"

"Oh, well, I just wanted to catch up," she tells me chirpily.

"Oh, okay," I say. I'm a little confused, but I'll play along for now. "So, um…you're pregnant," I state unnecessarily.

"Oh, yeah," she grins then, resting her hand on her belly. "It's my third."

My eyes widen involuntarily. Her third? Wow, she and Matthews have been busy; at least, I'm assuming she's with Matthews.

"So…who's the father?" I can't resist asking.

She glances over towards the jocks still sitting at the table, "It's John," she announces proudly. "We got married 8 years ago."

So, I was right. "Really, wow. I guess congratulations are in order."

"Thank you, Max," she beams. "Look, I really ought to get going now, but it was nice seeing you again."

"You, too," I force a smile, completely unprepared when she puts her hand on my arm and leans up to give me a peck on the cheek. I avert my eyes, slightly uncomfortable at the unexpected display of affection. Big mistake. Across the room, Liz Parker chooses that very moment to look over. Our eyes meet briefly and all I can think about is the look of shock and hurt playing on her face, just before she turns on her heel and walks off.

With a sinking heart, I say goodbye to Tess and try to get as far away from both her and Liz as possible. It's a little difficult to slip away unnoticed, because it seems that everyone has suddenly recognised me and is either patting me on the back (the guys) or smiling at me seductively (the women). I just roll my eyes internally and smile and nod at everyone until I finally make it out of the door. Unfortunately, the moment I reach the corridor and turn the corner, I bump into none other than Alex Whitman, whose eyes widen in surprise when he realises who I am.

"M-Max?"

I give him a tentative smile, "Hey, Alex."

"Hey…it's um, it's been a while," he stutters.

"Yeah…" I supply.

We stand awkwardly for a few moments, neither of us entirely comfortable, until I realise that I guess I owe him an apology – something I chickened out of doing ten years ago.

"Look, man, I want to say that I'm sorry for what happened back then – with Liz and I, and the whole going-behind-your-back thing."

Far from the reaction I expected, Alex simply shakes his head and gives a low chuckle, "Max, don't worry about it, okay? Yeah, I might have been a little hurt when Liz told me what was going on, but if I'm totally honest, I think you guys were good for each other." I raise an eyebrow; he's the second person to say that to me today. "And there was no need to worry about me, really. In fact, Liz and I were just convenient excuses for each other – I spent most of high school lusting after someone else anyway and since I never expected to ever have a chance with her, Liz and I kinda hooked up to save each other from the unwanted humiliation of being single in senior year."

"Oh," is all I can manage, before curiosity steps in. "So, who was this girl you were lusting after?"

He grins and blushes, "Oh, um, actually, she's just in the bathroom," he indicates towards the door to his left. As if on cue, the door opens and his date steps out. For some reason, Alex's smile suddenly fades and the colour drains from his face. I frown, but a second later my eyes widen in realisation. Here in front of me, her fingers laced with Alex Whitman's, is my very own sister.

"Isabel?" I wonder. "What are you doing here? I thought you were stuck in Boston this weekend?"

"Well, I…" she looks embarrassed. What the hell? My sister never gets embarrassed.

"Oh God," I exclaim suddenly. "You and Alex…?"

"Yeah," she smiles sheepishly, before turning to gaze at Alex proudly. "It turns out that Alex has been doing research at MIT for the last few years and well, we kind of bumped into each other a couple of months ago and got to talking. We went out a couple of times and I guess the rest is history," she smiles and leans over to kiss his cheek.

Now, I know that Isabel and I don't speak as often as we used to, but I'm surprised that she didn't mention this new relationship to me before.

"Oh, okay," I murmur, for lack of anything else to say. "Then I guess I'm happy for the two of you."

"Thanks, Max," says Isabel, reaching out to give my arm a grateful squeeze, before turning to Alex. "Well, we were just headed to the gym."

"Oh, okay, I was going this way," I say, pointing in the opposite direction, "So, I guess I'll catch up with you guys later. Have fun."

I begin walking down the corridor as Alex and my sister turn towards the gym. As I make my way through the hallways of West Roswell High, I realise how empty my life seems compared to everyone else's. Sure, I have a college degree and a fairly successful career in business management, but if I'm honest, I'm not particularly happy. I hear the sound of laughter coming from down the hall and decide that I'm not in the mood to deal with any more happy people right now. So, to avoid another confrontation, I quickly duck into the nearest room available. It's only when I get inside and close the door behind me that I notice where I am.

The Eraser Room.

With a sigh, I move towards the table against the wall and run my fingers across the smooth surface as the memories of being in here with Liz come rushing back. I pull myself up onto the table and sit with my back to the wall and my legs dangling over the edge. I close my eyes and let my head fall back against the cool plaster as I take in the familiar scent of chalk dust. Despite the fact that apparently there few chalkboards left in the school, the distinct smell still lingers. I sit here with my eyes closed for several minutes, until the sound of the door clicking open startles me and my eyes fly open. I watch in disbelief, my jaw hanging open, as none other than Liz Parker slips inside and closes the door behind her. She lets out a small sigh of relief, for some reason, and then makes her way towards the centre of the room. However, she stops suddenly, her eyes going wide, as she realises that she's not alone in here.

"Max?" she whispers almost inaudibly.

"Um, hi?" I offer hesitantly, even though butterflies are doing cartwheels in my stomach. God, I've spent the last ten years wishing I could see her and now she's barely three feet from me, I have no idea what to do or say.

"Max," she says again, although this time her voice is stronger. "What are you doing here?"

I watch her carefully, "You know, I could ask you the same thing."

She frowns and her features harden. "I asked first. And besides, shouldn't you be out there entertaining your pregnant lover?"

I sigh; I knew she'd gotten the wrong idea earlier. "What, you mean Tess? Sorry, but I'm not into adultery," I state casually.

Her eyes narrow, "Adultery?"

"Well, yeah," I say slowly, somehow enjoying this little argument with her. "And especially not when her husband and father of her child is in the same room."

"Max, what are you talking about?"

I shake my head, "Liz, what you saw back there was my first encounter with Tess Harding in ten years. She's been married to John Matthews for the last 8 years and she's about to give birth to their third kid."

She blinks in surprise, "Oh."

"You know, I don't know why you're so interested all of a sudden. After all, you were the one who left with no warning, not to mention the fact that you lied to me about where you were going to college, and you're also the one who showed up her with some Calvin Klein model on her arm ten years later."

Her expression becomes stricken, "Max, oh God, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you back then. I just…I was having a personal crisis over whether I'd made the right decision about college; I knew in my heart that Harvard wasn't the right place for me, and to be honest, I only really thought about Northwestern because you were going and not because it had the best courses for me, but I just couldn't bring myself to tell you that I'd made that final choice to go somewhere else. I applied to UCLA early on, but originally dismissed it and turned down the offer. As we got closer to leaving for college, the idea of going there instead crept into my mind and in my heart; I knew that I would prefer to go there. However, I also knew how much you wanted Harvard for me and I guess I didn't want to disappoint you."

For a moment, my heart goes out to her. I know first-hand what it's like to have to make difficult decisions – I've had a few to make for myself over the last few years – but for some reason, my brain can't get past the fact that she was just gonna leave without telling me.

"So, if we hadn't argued that day, you would have just left anyway? How did you think that was gonna work?" I question incredulously as I hop off the table and take a few steps towards her.

She shakes her head, "I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking – well, I guess I wasn't, really. I kept putting it off and then it was suddenly too late. After you left me on the balcony that day, I panicked. You'd just told me that we were over and I stupidly believed that, so I decided it was best to cut all ties there and then."

I snort in amazement, as I come to a stop in front of her, "That was it? You weren't even gonna try to work it out with me? Did I really mean so little to you?"

"No, Max, I was scared and my heart was wounded. At that point I wasn't even thinking rationally, I just wanted to get as far away from Roswell as possible. I didn't even think about the outcome of my actions."

"You really hurt me that day, Liz," I tell her as I look down at her. "It took months for me to get over the fact that you just up and left with barely an explanation."

She lifts her head and her eyes lock with mine. I can see the glimmer of tears in her eyes, but when she speaks, her voice is calm and determined.

"Max, there isn't a single day that goes by when I don't regret what happened between us. I'm more sorry than you can ever imagine. You have to believe me when I tell you that I didn't mean for things to get so out of control. I loved you so much, but I foolishly let my own problems get in the way of that. I'm sorry," she repeats. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"Liz…" I start, but realise that I am at a loss for words. Here I am, standing barely a foot away from the only girl I ever loved, a girl I haven't set eyes on in ten years, her eyes are locked with mine in a somewhat intense stare and I can't fight my feelings any longer. Suddenly I don't care about what happened all those years ago. All I want is to feel her lips on mine once again. I can't help it; I begin to lower my head towards hers. Just before our lips touch, I hesitate, unsure if I'm doing the right thing; but before I get the chance to change my mind, Liz winds her arms around my neck and pulls me to her. I shiver at the feel of her lips on mine after so long and all rational thought leaves my mind as I wrap my arms around her for the first time in years.

Before I can even comprehend what is happening, my instincts take over and I finding myself walking her backwards towards the table. Almost surprisingly, she doesn't protest and instead complies eagerly, hopping up onto the table and getting comfortable as our tongues duel passionately. She parts her legs slightly, allowing me to slip between them and pull her closer. She lets out a little moan as our lower bodies come into contact with each other, which in turn causes a spike of arousal to shoot through me and I am powerless to stop the reaction that I have to her. She makes a strangled sound into my mouth as I harden against her and deepens the kiss.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realise that what we're doing is reckless and stupid, but I just can't stop; and it appears neither can she. As her slender fingers walk their way down over my chest, grazing my nipples on the way, I push all thoughts of the last ten years and the guy she obviously came here with to one side and lose myself in the feel of her. It's my turn to groan as she snakes her hands round my waist, grazing my butt briefly before slipping them beneath my cotton shirt. I almost jump as her fingers trace small circles on my lower back before moving upwards and round to my stomach.

"Oh, God…Max…" she whispers against my mouth and it is then that I realise that one of my hands has wandered up to cup her breast, whilst the other has left her waist and is gently massaging her thigh.

She moves to unbutton my shirt and I take the opportunity to snake my hand beneath the hem of her skirt. I almost explode right there and then as my palm comes into contact with the silky-soft skin of her thigh and my other hand unconsciously begins to massage her breast. As she pulls my shirt open and slips it over my shoulders, I let my fingers dance across her warm skin. I suck in a breath, ripping my mouth from hers as I encounter lace panties – a thong, in fact – and my eyes fly open when I realise that she's already wet. Eager to see more of her, I reach for the straps of her top with my free hand and slip them down her arms, one by one. The loose top falls to her stomach, exposing a lacy strapless bra. God, she's even more beautiful than I remember.

"You're gorgeous," I murmur softly as I reach behind her to unclasp her bra (no mean feat with just one hand, I can tell you) and place it on the table

"You too," she replies with a small smile, her hands roaming my chest as her lips begin to suckle on my neck.

"It's been too long," I mutter next, "I want you so bad."

"God, yes," she cries as I emphasise my point by stroking her clit with my fingers. "I want you, too."

That's all it takes for my control to snap. I remove my hands from her body and quickly unfasten my pants, shoving both them and my boxers down over my hips, freeing my already painfully hard erection from its confines. Liz lets out a small whimper when my hands then slide up her legs once more and I lift her hips to ease her panties down. The second she's free of them, I pull her to me, holding her as close as possible and we let out simultaneous gasps as she wraps her legs around me and our lower bodies touch – hot skin against hot skin. I move my hips slightly and close my eyes at the feel of her slick, wet folds sliding against my hardness. Unable wait any longer, I position myself at her entrance and slide into her.

God, it's like coming home. As her heat engulfs me, her inner walls stretching to accommodate my length, my only rational thought is that _this_ is what has been missing from my life for the last decade. A gasp escapes from her beautiful lips as I begin to stroke in and out of her welcoming body. My eyes close involuntarily as I bury my face in her neck, pressing kisses to the sensitive skin behind her ear and inhaling the scent of her heady perfume, mixed with her own unique, intoxicating aroma. My unbuttoned shirt is still pushed halfway down my arms, so I am unable to do much except hold her close to me, my hands roaming her lower back; but I shudder when Liz is more adventurous and slides her hands up my arms, over my shoulders and then buries her fingers in my hair.

Her hips begin to move against me, mimicking my thrusts into her tight heat and my movements become frantic. We're both breathing heavily and are helpless to stop the moans of pleasure erupting from our lips. I feel my release rapidly approaching and I still know her body well enough to recognise when she's close too. I lift my head from her neck to see her. Her eyes are still closed, so I lean forward to whisper in her ear.

"Look at me, Liz," I command softly.

Her eyes slowly flutter open and then I'm staring into the dark depths I thought I'd never see again.

"I want to see your face when you come," I murmur. She shivers at my words, but her eyes darken in response to my request. Our gazes lock completely as our movements escalate until neither one of us can hold out any longer. Liz's mouth falls open in a cry of pleasure and I feel her walls tighten around me repeatedly. The sight of her in the throes of passion is enough to send me flying over the edge. Her name spills from my mouth as I erupt inside of her, and I kept my gaze fixed on her.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," she cries as the simultaneous climaxes continue to wash over us, whilst my brain is stuck on just that one word: Liz. I gasp her name over and over until I can't even think anymore.

I hold her to me as the intense pleasure begins to subside. Once I can finally breathe properly again, I pull out of her, remove my hands from her waist and shrug my shirt back on again, before reaching up and smoothing her hair back from her face. Her eyes are closed once more, her lips parted slightly and I can't resist leaning down for one more kiss.

"Max…" she sighs into my mouth.

A small smile tugs at my lips. "Liz," I return.

She pulls away suddenly, moving back to look at me, "Max, what –?"

"You're forgiven," I interrupt softly. "I'm still just a little bit angry over the whole situation, but I do forgive you, Liz."

"Thank you, that means so much to me" she smiles gratefully, but then seems to realise our current half-naked position. "Oh, um…" she says uncomfortably, but then gives a low chuckle. "Oh God, I can't believe I just did this. With you. And at the reunion too!"

I smile too; it's just like old times – we can't even be alone in a room together without having sex! Barely a second later, an awful thought occurs to me and my face falls.

"Shit, Liz, we didn't use anything."

Her reaction is completely unexpected – she giggles. "It's okay, Max; I'm on the pill."

"Oh, thank God," I sigh in relief and watch as Liz reaches for her bra and starts getting dressed again. A quick glance down reminds me that I'm not exactly decent either and I hastily tuck myself in and zip up my pants. I step away from her so that she can fix the rest of her clothes.

"So, um," she starts hesitantly, a couple of minutes later. "What have you been up to the last ten years?"

I fight a smile at the sudden change in atmosphere between us.

"Not much, really. I attended Northwestern, as you know, and graduated with honours. I majored in Business Management with a minor in French. It took me a few years, but now I run my own company in Denver, Colorado."

"Wow, congratulations, Max. I always knew there was more to you than playing football."

I chuckle, "Damn right. So, uh, what about you?"

"Me? Well, I majored in Biology at UCLA, got a Masters in Microbiology from the University of Arizona and I completed my PhD last summer back in California. Right now, I'm working for a biomedical research lab in LA."

"Wow," I exhale. She's achieved so much; I guess UCLA was the best choice for her after all.

"Yeah," she grins.

As much as I've been trying not to, I have to ask the question that's been on the tip of my tongue since I first saw her in the gym earlier, "So, um…that guy you were with earlier…?"

She raises an eyebrow. "Drew? What about him?"

"Well, uh, is he…? I mean are you two…?"

Her mouth forms an 'oh' of realisation, "You mean, is he my other half?"

"Yeah…" I mutter sheepishly, unable to look her in the eye.

"No, no he's not, Max," she says. "He's just a very good friend."

Thank God (for about the millionth time today).

"And you wanna know why I have no intention of hooking up with him?" she continues, jumping off the table and sauntering over to me. She rises up on tiptoe and murmurs, "He's gay."

"Oh," I mutter, slightly embarrassed that I thought they were together.

"What about you, Max? Is there someone in your life?" she asks as she reaches for my shirt and begins buttoning it up for me.

"Uh, no," I manage, trying not to think about her hands being so close to me. "No one special."

She nods but says nothing else. Finishing with my shirt, she steps back and we stand in somewhat awkward silence, until I finally pluck up the courage to voice my thoughts.

"Liz?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think maybe we could try again? You know, like a fresh start," I ask hopefully. "I've really missed you all this time and if I'm totally honest, there's no one else in the world that makes me feel the way I do when I'm with you."

"Max," she murmurs, her eyes moist. "I've missed you too. So much."

"So, is there still a chance for us?"

She nods, a slight movement, "I think so." I smile in relief. "But, let's just take it slow, okay? I don't want to rush into anything."

"Okay," I grin. "I can do slow."

I pull her into my arms, placing a chaste kiss on her nose, before an alarming thought occurs to me.

"Wait a minute; you mean slow in the relationship sense, right? 'Cos I don't think I'm capable of going slow in the sex department – especially when I'm with you."

"Yes, I mean the relationship stuff," she smiles.

"Good."

We remain in our embrace for several minutes, until I realise exactly how long we've been in here.

"Hey, what do you say we make ourselves decent and go join the party again?" I ask as I tuck a loos strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I say that sounds good."

I release her and we straighten our clothes, making sure we're both presentable, although I bet everyone's gonna know what we've been up to anyway. We sneak out of the Eraser room, and then join hands as we walk towards the gym. Quite a few people stare at us as we enter through the doors together, but I don't care. Instead, I notice that there are several couples out on the dance floor, so I turn to Liz and hold out my hand.

"You wanna dance?"

"Sure," she smiles, slipping her hand in mine.

I lead her to the dance floor and slide my arms around her. She wraps her arms around my neck and we begin swaying to the music. We dance in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company, but then I make the mistake of looking down into her eyes and I can't keep my feelings inside a moment longer.

"I love you, Liz Parker… I still love you," I murmur softly.

If she's surprised by my confession, she doesn't show it. Instead, she slides her fingers through my hair and gazes up at me intently.

"I love you, too, Max Evans."

With an elated smile, I spin her around before leaning down to kiss her lips softly. Eventually, we pull apart and just stare at each other happily, until Liz grins and breaks the silence.

"By the way, I love the hair."

_**End**_


End file.
